To be the best, Like there no one ever was
by Tango Charlie
Summary: Ash Ketchum has just won the Unova League. But the road to becoming a Pokemon Master is not yet complete. With the decennial Champions League coming up, he has a chance to make all of his dreams come true. Will Ash truly fulfill his destiny? Or will his dreams collapse? Follow his journey as he and his Pokemon train to be the best, like there no one ever was. (REWRITE IN PROGRESS)
1. Unova League: Conquered

**POKEMON**

* * *

**To be ****the best, like there no one ever was**

_Unova League: Conquered!_

* * *

**A/N: **Yo! For those familiar with me, this is my second story and my first Pokémon Fanfiction. I was really pissed off at the result of the Vertress Conference, which was my main motive at writing this Fanfic.

Although I really love the Anime, I don't want to believe that Ash has somehow found the fountain of Youth. Hence, he and the other Characters _will be aging _inthisFic_!_ That's right, so no stupid R- Rated moments between 10 year olds. Also this will be a Multi-Ash Shipping fic for the time being, since I've not yet decided on what Pairing I want. But beware that romance is not the main focus of this fiction, making Ash as badass as I can, _is_.

And for those who were wondering, no I do **not **own Pokémon. Seriously, why in the name of the Killer-Klowns-from-outer-space do we even need to put this? If I owned Pokémon, why wouldn't the Anime be same as my fic?

As for the ages-

Ash Ketchum- 16 Y/O

Misty- 17 Y/O

May- 15 Y/O

Dawn- 15 Y/O

Iris- 14 Y/O

Brock/Cilan 20 Y/O

Trip/Max- 11 Y/O

Gary/Casey/Ritchie/Drew/Paul/Morrison/Barry/Stephan/Cameron/Georgia- All are 16 Y/O

Harrison/Conway/Virgil/Bianca (Unova)/Zoey/Kenny/Ursula - All are 18 Y/O

Tyson (Johto)/Nando/Tobias- 21 Y/O

**NOTE: Chapter has been edited and updated, as of 25/09/14**

* * *

**Vertress Conference, 2013**

* * *

**GREEN Corner**

"Both Pikachu and Umbreon are unable to battle, Trainers send out your last Pokémon!" The loud and authoritative voice of the referee rang out in the stadium, barely audible over the excited shouts of the fifty thousand strong crowd wildly cheering the final two contestants.

On one corner stood a blonde haired hazel eyed man, standing with shocked etched on every corner of his face. With slightly shaking hands, Virgil recalled his starter with a grimace. With a little bit of guilt, Virgil did indeed notice his opponent rushing out to meet his own Pokémon which was loaded onto a stretcher due to the extensive damage done.

Even so, Virgil was far from happy, or even pleased.

The match wasn't turning out as he had expected at all. His Eeveelutions were all well trained by him over the course of several years. He had a two year training experience on Ash. His Pokémon were better developed than most due to being involved in rescue missions. Most importantly, he had had them for a period of well over five years.

So how was it that Ash could have defeated five of his Pokémon with his barely one-year-trained ones?

If he were to be honest to himself, he had never expected Ash to reach the final match. From what information he could gather from the official league website, Ash had a tendency to use completely new teams of Pokémon in every league. Only Pikachu remained a constant. Naturally, this meant that every time Ash participated in a league, he did so as an effectively rookie trainer; not as the experienced and well travelled one that he actually was.

And he indeed had not been proven wrong, since the Pokémon he had used till now were Dewott, Pignite, Leavanny, Krookodile and Pikachu. While all of them were efficient and trusty in their own rights, his own team had much more experience than most of them. That in itself should have put the match in his own favour up until now.

'_My Pokémon should have curb stomped Ash's rookie ones, how is this even possible that he is going neck and neck to me?' _Virgil thought in disbelief. And to add insult to injury, Ash hadn't even revealed his sixth Pokémon; while he had to use all six of his own up until now!

He had to admit that he had rarely ever seen a brilliant on the spot strategist than Ash Ketchum. The boy had a knack for making unorthodox strategies and take advantage of the battling field in ways he couldn't have even imagined in his wildest dreams. Brains almost always won over brawn in Pokémon battling. Even if Ash's team was less experienced, they made it up in showing inventive and fantastic manoeuvres in the duration of the battle to make up for it.

"Will the trainers please send out their next Pokémon?" The referee's voice cut through Virgil's thoughts, shaking him from his stupor and immediately take out his next, and last, Pokeball for the match.

Enlarging Flareon's Pokeball for the second time in the match, Virgil took a deep breath as he formulated a rough battle plan in his mind.

'_Flareon is still a bit damaged from its battle against Krookodile, but if my knowledge about Ash's other Unova Pokémon is correct, then only Snivy, Unfezant and Boldore are left. Palpitoad is still damaged and if it was not then Ash would have surely sent it against Jolteon.' _Virgil's eyes narrowed as he threw his last Pokeball towards the rocky field. Not exactly a preferable ground for either his Vaporeon, or Ash's Dewott.

"Flareon, come on out!"

The fire type eveelution, Flareon, appeared in all its glory, a little bit of cuts and bruises visible, but otherwise battle ready. The Pokémon was larger than the average size for its species, showing just how battle experienced it really was.

"Fla!" The Kanto Pokémon yipped as it took a ready stance.

'_Now what Pokémon will you use Ask Ketchum?' _Snivy, Boldore, Unfezant and Palpitoad. These were the only viable options. And if his luck was with him today, it would either be Snivy or Unfezant.

Virgil didn't have to wait long as Ash threw his Pokeball with a... confident(?) smile on his face. Virgil's own was wiped off his face as he finally saw the Pokémon which emerged from the Pokeball.

The only word which he was able to utter from his mouth was-

"Damn."

* * *

**RED Corner**

"You did well buddy. Now take a nice long rest, I promise I will bring home the Trophy." Ash Ketchum gently whispered to his starter Pokémon as two Chancy came out to put him on a stretcher. Seeing Pikachu so extensively damaged had really done a number on Ash's confident mood for the match.

"Pi...ka" Pikachu weakly smiled as it collapsed back on the stretchers, the fatigue finally catching up.

Silently watching his Pokémon disappear in the dark tunnel leading to the medical centre, Ash calmly started walking back to his corner, his hat pointed downward to cover his facial expression and his ears muted to every cheer. Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town had only one thought in his mind.

'_This is it. The final battle.' _He _had_ to win, there's no two ways around it.

His team had truly surprised him today. Even though he always had complete faith in his Pokémon, even he could admit that the difference in experience between his team and Virgil's was just very much. But his team had proved everyone, including himself, wrong about the limits of their capabilities.. Nobody had expected a rookie team to defeat a multitude of highly trained Eeveelutions.

In truth, he might not have used any one of them if not for a particular incident.

His quarter final clash had been a real eye opener. Cameron had been, without a shadow of a doubt, a noob. But the same noob pushed Ash to the limit with just five, **FIVE** Pokémon! Pikachu barely pulled up after the clash between his Volt Tackle and Lucario's Bone rush. And so, after his extremely embarrassing victory against Cameron, Ash had decided to use a completely veteran team for the semi-finals against Dino. He just couldn't take any chances, not after coming so far.

The victory, if he could call it so, had been a slight domination by his side. He had used Snorlax, Swellow, Totodile, Torterra, Infernape and his legendary defeater Sceptile. So there was no need to say that it was an easy victory for Ash. Well, not exactly _easy, _but definitely not hard. It had been a mostly even battle, until the introduction of Sceptile, that is. He had decided to rest Pikachu for the finals.

But what Ash had perhaps naively chosen to forget was the possible backlash from his Unova team.

Unlike his older Pokémon, his Unova team had never experienced him going on another journey altogether, while taking only Pikachu. Thus when they had to watch the match from the stands, they had overreacted.

Many of the Pokémon in the Unova group had been abandoned by their previous trainers. And thus they had made a very strong bond with Ash due to his caring and lovable nature towards them. They didn't want Ash to leave them just because they were weak and so they started training, hard.

Their training was so intense that Oshawott evolved into Dewott, and Snivy and Pignite were also close to evolving. So it was a testament to their willpower really. Even more so considering they did it all on their own, without any guidance from Ash.

It was only Professor Oak who informed and explained the matter to Ash, who was highly surprised that his Pokémon would go to such lengths to prove themselves to them. So, he once again changed his team and apologised to the Unova group, and told them that if he was happy with what they had achieved in the short time, he will definitely take a gamble and use them.

Sure enough, they had been much better than before. So, taking a huge risk, he sent them out. And, thankfully, they hadn't disappointed him in the slightest.

'_Thanks guys. You proved to me that my trust in you was not foolish. If only I could rub this in Paul's face...'_ Ash mentally thanked his Pokémon. An amused smile appeared on his face at thinking of his rival. He could only hope that losing to him in the Sinnoh league would have forced Paul to rethink his approach to training his Pokémon.

But it wasn't the time to think about his past rivals, it was the time to defeat his current.

'_Its time for me to use __**my **__secret weapon.'_ The Pokeball in his hand contained one of the strongest Pokémon he had in his entire party, and one he had never used in an official battle before. But he made up for that in terms of raw strength alone. Regardless, Ash was a hundred and ten percent assured of his victory.

Ash grinned as he enlarged the Pokeball. He hurled it towards the arena in his usual fashion, where Flareon was anxiously waiting for its opponent.

"I choose you-" The Pokeball exploded in a huge flash of light, only to reveal a large, terrifying figure emerging from within its depths.

Golden eyes snapped open.

"_**GARCHOMP**_!" Ash clenched his fists in excitement as the land shark Pokémon appeared.

The Pokémon in question was 6'8", quite tall even for its species. It's colour predominantly navy blue with red and yellow colored portions on its torso. A shark like fin protruding from its back with an equally shark-esque tail made for an intimidating view. Not to mention the razor sharp teeth and gold coloured eyes.

The Mach Pokémon thumped its tail on the ground as it gave out a deafening roar, causing many in the crowd to scream out in terror, and an equal number of people to look in awe at the Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.

Garchomp turned its eyes towards Flareon, who visibly flinched back, and gave it a psychotic grin.

One which told, '_I'mma have Fun with you punk!'_

Virgil looked at the absolutely terrifying figure of the dual Ground/Dragon Type, as it towered over his Flareon. Flareon was visibly looking nervous.

He gulped. Garchomp must be scarily strong to make his vintage Flareon to get scared.

"Damn you Ash." Virgil muttered as his mind went overdrive into making strategies to defeat the monster before him. Pseudo Legendaries more often than not lived up to their names. And to defeat one was no easy task.

* * *

_In the stands_

Iris, Stephan, Trip, Cameron, Georgia and Bianca watched with dropped jaws as Ash released the draconian Pokémon. Axew, Lucario and Sawk watched the powerful dragon with respect, and holy admiration in the case of Axew.

The most baffled of them all, the girl from the dragon village pointed towards the dragon type in disbelief "How?- No **when** did he catch a G-Garchomp?" Iris asked the question which was probably on everyone's mind.

Trip had his own conundrum '_How can someone from the Boonies catch such a powerful Pokémon!? And not only Garchomp, Ash's Sceptile was even faster than my Serperior.' _Trip thought to himself. Even though his opinion about other regions had drastically changed after his defeat by Ash, it was still a shock to him to see Ash as such a powerful trainer. '_Could it be that my opinions about Kanto are wrong? Perhaps I should visit the place sometime...' _ He promptly took a large number of pictures of the Dragon Type.

The burly guy sitting next to Trip let out a whistle of appreciation as he looked at his friend cum rivals final Pokémon._"_Damn Sawk, looks like Ash got a lot stronger." Stephan muttered to his companion Pokémon.

"Saaawk." Its voice trailing off as it sensed the amount of power in the Pokémon, Sawk clearly shared his trainer's opinion.

The pink haired Georgia didn't say anything. Or rather, was unable to make up her mind on what to say exactly. On one hand, Ash was her friend and a definite good guy, '_Unlike Miss Dragon Master', _she thought sarcastically. While they weren't the best of friends, Ash had never been anything but pleasant to her, so speaking against him would definitely be a low blow. Also was the fact that Ash used a wide variety of Pokémon, not only Dragon types.

But On the other hand, she **really** disliked Dragon type Pokémon!

'_Well, it's not as if Ash only uses Dragon types, and besides Garchomp looks scarily strong too... Wouldn't want to get on his bad side.' _Georgia apparently made her decision.

Bianca on the other hand looked with sparkling eyes at Garchomp, excitement overrunning her shock, "Whoa, looks like Ash has got some pretty strong Pokémon!"

Seeing as she had never seen a Garchomp before, she decided to scan it with her Pokedex.

"_**Garchomp: **_

"_**The Land-Shark Pokémon. When it folds up its body, its looks like a jet plane and flies at sonic speed. It never allows its prey to escape."**_

The duo sitting next to Stephan and Sawk, Cameron and Lucario also looked at Garchomp with a critical glaze. It looked a strong opponent to test their abilities against. Not to mention Hydreigon would definitely be excited.

But during all this, Cilan was surprisingly, not surprised at all. This showed on his face as Iris promptly asked him why was he so calm, and not looking all wonder eyed and jaw dropped like them. Cilan was all too happy to divulge the reason, why.

"You see Iris, one month ago I had accidently caught Ash and Garchomp during their training session." Seeing a very pissed off expression beginning to gather on the purple haired girl's face, he quickly added "Annnnnnnd before you get angry, he said that he wanted to surprise you after the tournament." Cilan said so as to prevent Ash from possible bodily harm by Iris.

Iris grudgingly accepted the excuse, but Georgia couldn't help herself, "Hmph, Ash probably thought you might try to steal Garchomp from him." The Dragon buster said rather childishly.

No, really. That wasn't even a low level jab. A rather pathetic pinch if Georgia were to be honest to herself.

"What did you say!" Iris growled. Well it had the desired effect that's for sure.

Unfortunately for Iris, Georgia was all too ready to explain herself, "Well if you look at it honestly, for all your talk of being a Dragon master, you just have an unevolved Axew and a rogue Dragonite, it's not too farfetched to say you might try to get Garchomp by 'any means necessary'." Georgia continued in a rather casual tone, as if she was talking about the weather or something.

Looking as if it had seen a child being sacrificed in a satanic ritual, Axew sunk down into his trainer's hair, a proverbial rain cloud hanging over its head.

Unable to properly formulate a strong response to the arguably honest statement, Iris quickly retorted, "Oh yeah? And for all your talk of being a 'Dragon Buster', you lost to me. HAH!" The statement almost led to almost an all out cat fight between the two, if not for Cilan calming the duo down.

Unknowing of the drama that surrounded his friends, Ash Ketchum got ready for the final battle of the Vertress Conference.

* * *

_Arena_

"You ready Garchomp?" Ash asked his only dragon type.

Garchomp gave a grin at that and pumped up his hands, err claws "GAAR!"

Virgil was a bit unnerved at Garchomp's confidence, but shook it off. His Flareon had taken on strong foes before too, now wasn't the time to be intimidated.

The Referee, noticing that both Pokémon were released and ready for battle, raised both of his flags into the air. "The final battle of the 2013 Vertress Conference begins...NOW!" The flags _swooshed _as they were brought down simultaneously. Virgil took this as a sign to begin attacking.

"Flareon, let's start things off with a _Flamethrower_!" Virgil commanded and in response Flareon let out a scorching stream of fire towards its opponent. The flamethrower was stronger than what is usually seen, showing that Flareon was very well trained. The stream of flames expanded into a wall, making the attack area wide and providing little to no escape from it.

However Garchomp didn't look even a bit unnerved by the attack coming towards it, neither did it fly up. The reason was made clear when Ash yelled out confidently, "Garchomp show them a real fire type move, use _Fire Blast_!"

Virgil's eyes widened as the command reached his ears, "What the-" He couldn't even finish his sentence as Garchomp released a massive ball of fire from its jaws. The compressed ball of fire roared as it burned its way through the air to meet Flareon's wider attack head on.

The compressed ball of fire, rather than feeding into the charging wall, rather made it bend around it, thus shielding Garchomp from any and all damages from the fire. It created for a brilliant display of lights as the two fire type attacks tried to overpower one other. Fire Blast was naturally at an advantage.

Seeing that the situation was rapidly turning against them, Virgil decided to take matters into his own hands, "Flareon, don't give up! Increase your power!"

On the other side of the field, Ash's smile turned into a smirk, "Big mistake, Virgil."

"Flaaa!" Flareon's voice turned into a growl as it exerted even more effort to continue its own attack. The fire type was able to do nothing more than to keep up its attack, increasing its power was far beyond its capabilities in its mildly exhausted state.

Garchomp merely stood with an unnerving gaze as it waited for its Fire Blast to do its job. Fire Blast was a one-time launch attack, unlike Flamethrower, which had to be feeded continuously.

Eventually, the inevitable did happen. Flareon, despite its efforts, encountered a very elementary problem after a minute. One which made it unable to continue its attack.

Its lungs ran out of air.

With Flareon no longer controlling the fire, it fed into the large fireball created by Garchomp. And like a flaming meteorite, it crashed into the ground around Flareon.

"Crap." Seeing where the situation was going, Ash immediately shielded his eyes.

And for good measure.

For no more than two seconds later, with a loud explosion, the ground around the fire type exploded. Dust and debris flying around, and only stopped from reached the two trainers and the referee by the psychic barrier, crashed into the rocky ground, further tearing it up and making the once little to moderately damaged ground into a ground resembling one hit by a missile.

The crowd drew back as the fire eventually reached the psychic barriers, making them shake and vibrate in effort to hold it back. The whole stadium was partially bathed in a yellowish red light as the two attacks joined to create the massive explosion.

In all this, Flareon's whimpers of pains were drowned out as it tried to shield itself from the scorching heat trying to burn it. Its fire typing coming into effect was the only thing which protected Flareon from debilitating injury. Nevertheless, the explosive nature oif the fire still hurt it extensively, as did the flying and partially molten rocks and stones.

"NO! FLAREON!" Virgil cried out in distress as bleakly glanced from between his covered hands. The blinding light was still impossible to look at, so he couldn't even see the status of his Pokémon.

Its enhanced hearing allowing it hear its opponent's cries of pain, Garchomp let out another blood-curdling roar, making many spectators cover their ears.

As the fire dissipated, the true scale of landscape destruction became clear to the spectators both in the stadium, and those watching around the world.

The boulders around the field, those which were left that is, had mostly molten and blackened. The ground itself had much soot covering it, with many small craters around the mildly blackened Flareon. The craters themselves were created from the violent ripping out of boulders and gravel.

The Pokémon itself didn't look as much damaged as it would have had it been a Pokémon belonging to any other type. But even then, the attack seemed to leave a mark on it as it stumbled while getting back on its feet. Front legs visibly shaking with effort, Flareon bravely stood back up, defiantly staring down its opponent.

"Shit. Are you all right Flareon?" Virgil asked with panic laced in his voice.

Hearing its trainer's shout, Flareon weakly nodded back, one of its eyes shut in pain. Nevertheless, the fire type soon regained some of its bearing, crouching in an attacking stance, ready to take orders.

But Ash had no plans to let up the attacking to Virgil. It wasn't a turn based combat after all, you had to take advantage and keep on attacking if the opportunity rose.

"Now Garchomp, use _Sandstorm_." Waving his hand in an arc as he said this, Ash had a confident smile on his face.

Its body glowing with ethereal energy, Garchomp raised its claws into the air, waving them around. Almost instantly, a sudden dust storm erupted from the rocky field, the ash created from the explosive attack prior giving it a very dark appearance.

In a matter of seconds, howling winds hit the psychic barriers as Garchomp's Sandstorm gave justice to its name. Flareon's situation became even worse since its sight was now taken away; or at the very least limited.

On the other hand, Garchomp wasn't even a bit bothered by the sand. Its special ability coming into play, Garchomp vanished into the storm like a ghost.

Keen to take advantage of the fact that no one other than perhaps Garchomp itself was able to see an inch, Ash yelled, "Garchomp, this is your chance, rush forward with Dual Chop, but be careful!" Even though Flareon's visibility had been highly reduced, that didn't mean it couldn't use some other attack to defend itself.

On the other side of the field, Virgil looked rather desperately at the wall of spinning sand before him. Knowing that Ash was surely commanding his Pokémon for some attack, shouted, "Flareon, use Fire Spin around you, keep a look out for Garchomp!"

In a testament to Flareon's own skill, multiple rings of fire immediately sprang up around the Pokémon. Spreading to up to six feet in radius, the Fire Spin negated Garchomp's Sand Veil whenever the Dragon came into contact with the flames, allowing for Flareon to make a mental map of its opponent's various positions.

Unfortunately, the flames were a little bit too weak for Garchomp to be stopped in its path. For after 'testing the waters' a few times, Garchomp bravely rushed through the fire, taking minor burns, and reached Flareon with both fins glowing.

But Flareon wasn't nearly as helpless as it seemed.

Flareon's tail immediately glowed white as it jumped in the air to block the _Dual Chop_. A loud crack occurring, both the Pokémon were locked in a battle of wills as they tried to win over the other.

Meanwhile, the Sandstorm conjured by Garchomp had reduced a little by now, allowing for Ash and Virgil to see their Pokémon locked in the stalemate.

Seeing his Pokémon still standing, and rather giving an equal battle to Garchomp, Virgil's confidence rose, "Alright! Flareon, hit Garchomp with a Flamethrower!"

Ash had other plans, "Don't let it complete its attack Garchomp, increase the power behind Dual Chop!"

Giving a snarl, Garchomp's muscles visibly flexed as it increased the pressure on Flareon tenfold. Extremely surprised by its opponent's sudden increase in power, Flareon stopped charging its Flamethrower. Putting all its concentration in maintaining the Iron Tail, Flareon visibly shook with effort. Being in mid air was proving the task to be even tougher.

* * *

Virgil frowned as he racked up strategies to successfully come out of the situation in a positive manner. Looking closely at the position in which the two Pokémon were locked, and how Flareon's upper body was slightly raised, his eyes widened. Giving a confident smile for the first time in the battle, he shouted, "Flareon, use the Iron Tail to propel yourself into the air!"

Ash's eyes widened in shock "What?"

"Fla!" Giving as grunt of effort, Flareon changed the angle of its Iron Tail. Like a missile, Flareon was launched into the air, Garchomp's Dual Chop giving it an even better velocity.

"Now Flareon!" Pointing towards the field victoriously, Virgil commanded, "Use Incinerate!"

The crowd rose up as the as the command reached the spectators. Noise level rose, blocking out Ash's orders. Virgil was confident though. What could Ash probably order that would allow Garchomp to escape? Incinerate was a very wide area attack, there was no place for Garchomp to rush to, the whole ground could be covered from that height.

He could see Ash's lips moving, shouting out some order, but what could be possibly do? Even though Garchomp was a Ground type, using Dig would take far too much time for a Pokémon its size, not to mention, Flareon was ready.

With a loud cry of effort, Flareon launched a stream of fiery hot flames from its jaws. The stream rapidly expanding into a huge wall, it hit the ground like a missile, burning away any remaining boulders or bedrocks, and burning away whatever vegetation grew on the corners. The power of the attack was such that Flareon kept hovering in the air, the force created from launching the attack keeping it high.

The crowd was stunned. From what it appeared, Garchomp should clearly have lost. There was no escaping from the attack.

A little noise of victory emerged from Virgil's mouth, his happiness knew no bounds as he realised he had won a match he had little chance of winning.

Even the referee looked ready to end the match then and there, only looking for the official confirmation of seeing the large dragon unconscious.

But then-

"Now, Garchomp, launch the Dragon Pulse!"

"WHAT!"

A shadow came over Flareon, and before the Pokémon could even turn in mid air, it was over.

Flareon's eyes bugged out as a glowing sphere of draconian energy hit it straight in the back. The ball exploded, and rapidly reached critical mass, engulfing Flareon in a glowing sphere of pain. The fire type crashed towards the ground at rapid speeds and finally with a loud bang, hit it, creating a large dust cloud.

As the smoke cleared, Flareon was clearly lying in the crater formed, its eyes shut.

Flareon was unconscious.

* * *

Ash knew that if the attack hit Garchomp, the damage could prove just too much for his newly evolved Pokémon.

Thankfully, he had a very easy solution to the problem.

"Garchomp, take into the skies, and just as you reach Flareon, hit it with a Dragon Pulse!"

Without missing a beat, Garchomp launched itself into the air. With good measure since a split second later, the Incinerate hit the ground. Ash doubted whether anyone other than himself saw Garchomp even take off.

Well, that was even better for him, since there was no way Virgil could avoid the surprise attack mid air.

Garchomp appeared behind Flareon with a deceptively quick speed, almost like it had teleported. Ash watched as Garchomp charged up the Dragon Pulse, and patiently waiting for Flareon to stop its attack and begin its decent, it finally launched it.

Euphoria filled in his veins as he watched Flareon crash land, Ash shook with disbelief as the situation became clear to him.

Seeing the obvious result, the Referee raised the red flag, "Flareon is unable to battle, Garchomp wins the match. The winner of this match, and the 2013 Vertress Conference, is Ash Ketchum!"

The crowd erupted in a wild cheering as the result was announced, many even more excited at having seen a Pokémon like Garchomp fly. Iris, Cilan and the rest of Ash's friends cheered the loudest of them all, happy to see their friend win the competition.

"YEAH!" Ash raised his fist in victory, the happiness of winning his first league bursting out in barely controlled emotions. Rushing out into the field, he motioned for Garchomp to come down.

The arena silenced momentarily as Garchomp let out an absolutely beastly roar of victory, but it soon turned into cheers of delight as the massive Dragon rushed towards its trainer to celebrate.

"Good Job Garchomp!" Ash gave a thumbs up to his Pokémon as he approached him. Rather than responding with a shout or cry of victory, Garchomp landed beside Ash, and gently bit his head affectionately.

Unfortunately, Garchomp hadn't yet realised that evolving had increased its strength tenfold.

Waving his hands around in panic, Ash's muffled shouts and comical jumping around provided some light hearted moments for the crowd. Not so much for Ash though.

Somehow getting Garchomp off of him, Ash climbed up the railing, waving to the crowd and laughing with joy.

* * *

Virgil silently recalled Flareon into his Pokeball, muttering soothing nothings to it. Flareon had fought bravely tonight, even though it had been fighting at such disadvantage, and even such a overwhelming opponent.

Looking across to see Ash celebrating, Virgil allowed an amused smile to cross his face. Still, disappointment showed on his face clearly. He had hoped to win this year's Conference rather easily, and getting beaten in the finals was clearly not what he had in mind.

'_Well... If its any consolation, I am rather glad it was Ash who defeated me.'_ Being a Pokémon rescuer, there was no one more worthy in Virgil's mind than a person who cared for Pokémon as much as Ash Ketchum.

Allowing a snicker to escape him as Garchomp bit Ash, Virgil walked back into the private trainer's room he had been allowed for the finals. In any case, he was still proud of his Pokémon for putting g up such a strong show against an official battler like Ash. His Pokémon would always be rescuers first, battlers second.

Maybe he could train up a little this year?

* * *

_Thirty minutes later.._

Ash was predictably mobbed in the dressing room by his friends and Pokémon. Pikachu affectionately nuzzled Ash, happy to have helped his friend get on the first step towards his dream of being a Pokémon master. Things almost got ugly when Iris stomped in and promptly dressed him down for keeping the existence of a 'beautiful' Pokémon like Garchomp from her. Needless to say, Garchomp was quite happy to hear that.

"Hey Cilan, Georgia, Bianca, Trip, Cameron and Stiphin!" Ash cheerfully welcomed his friends, although he was surprised to see 'em all together.

"Damn it, its STEPHAN!" Stephan cried out in anguish, but for some unknown reason no one really noticed.

"It was a great battle Ash. Your Garchomp is a really strong Pokémon." Georgia complimented Ash as Iris looked on in disbelief.

"You actually praised GARCHOMP!?" Iris yelled out.

"Yeah so?" Georgia acted as if she didn't get it.

The nonchalant answer gained a tick mark from Iris, "Well, don't you hate Dragon Types, miss '_Dragon buster'_?" Iris said sarcastically as she used Air quotes for Georgia's nickname.

"Hmph, unlike you, Miss Wannabe '_Dragon Master'… _Ash has a rather well rounded team of Pokémon, its only wannabe master's like you and master's like Drayden that I hate. Besides, Garchomp is honestly that good, there's no two ways to go about it. Unlike _your _Pokémon." Georgia said snobbishly as she and Iris started another argument which everyone rather smartly ignored.

Getting involved in a fight between two girls always meant taking sides, and that was something none of them wanted to do.

Trip congratulated Ash in his usual manner, by using a veiled insult. "Congratulations Ash, since you won the league, I can now say without shame that it was the League winner against whom I was eliminated. Maybe Kanto isn't the boonies after all." Seeing as he had a smile on his face the entire time he said it, all the while having a honest tone, it was hard for anyone to deduce whether he was being sarcastic or he was really serious.

Ash sweatdropped at the rather insulting congratulations, but he had gotten rather used to such things after meeting Trip so many times during his journey.

Cameron, Lucario and Bianca also congratulated Ash, with the former two cursing their lack of information leading them to use only 5 Pokémon in the Quarter Finals against Ash.

"Thanks a lot guys, this really means a lot to me, you all watching my match, cheering me on. Thank you." Ash said with a smile as his Friends/Rivals smiled back.

"But don't think that just 'cause you've won the league you're the best Ash, me and Lucario are coming right at'cha!" Lucario barked in agreement as he and Cameron gave a thumbs up to Ash.

Georgia smirked in her usual confident manner, while Bianca merely smiled. Stephan and Sawk were so pumped at the possibility to face Ash that they even started doing push-ups right down and there.

Go figure.

"You bet guys." Ash said with a smile, "But me and my friends won't be slacking off either. We have got the Unova Elite four and Alder to challenge after all."

This statement of Ash's made everyone's eyes widen. The Elite four Challenge of Unova was one of the strongest ones after Sinnoh and Kanto.

"You mustn't get overconfident, Ash. Unlike Virgil, the Elite Four are a recipe not easily mastered. You can't expect to take them on with just your Unova Pokémon; you will have to use every resource you have." Cilan warned.

Before Ash could answer, the speaker present the room flared up.

"**Trainer Ash Ketchum please make you way to the Arena. You are required to bring your Pokémon along with you. I repeat, make your way to the arena."**

Ash took a deep breath "Well that's my cue guys, wish me luck!" Recalling the five of his Pokémon, he then looked at Pikachu, "Hop on buddy, this is our time!"

* * *

Thundrous applause from the over fifty thousand spectators greeted Ash as he entered the arena.

Shaking hands with his old acquaintance, Mr. Charles Goodshow, and the Unova League Champion, Alder, Ash had been handed the trophy by a pretty girl. The golden trophy, sleek and royal in its design, felt almost unreal to Ash as he held it. Soon, he shook hands with Virgil, who thanked him for giving him the best match of his entire career.

As Ash held the trophy proudly in his hands, his mind went into the various flashbacks over just how many times he had lost before...

Charizard sleeping in his battle against Ritchie's Pikachu...

Tyson's Meowth in Boots...

Harrison's Houndoom...

The Legendaries of Tobias...

Every hurdle... every challenge he had faced till now, had been for this very moment. The first step in his quest to etch his name in history as the best that there ever was. As Ash looked around him, his face filled with pride.

Garchomp was present in the air above him, a proud grin etched onto its face. Leavanny, Krookodile, Dewott and Pignite stood proudly around, while Pikachu was in its usual spot on its trainer's shoulder.

Charles Goodshow, president of the Pokémon league stood beside Ash. The old man, despite showing an outer calm, felt much happiness as he watched the young trainer beside him. Having followed Ash's journey from the very moment he first met him in the Indigo League, the old man felt much pride for the boy.

He had heard nothing but praise from each and every Champion or Elite Four that Ash had ever met on his journey. Ash didn't know it, but he was quite the popular guy among the Elite Four and Champions. His role in defeating the multiple criminal organisations was well known in the United League of Regions.

Now, finally seeing the boy win his first league... well, it was quite the experience.

As per tradition, it was the Unova League Champion, Alder who presented Ash the trophy. Ash had met Alder during his Unova journey was quite happy when Alder recognised him. The Unova Champion was a large man with wild Orange hair which came till his lower back. The Champion was also smiling widely at seeing Ash with the Championship.

Alder had also taken it upon himself to announce Ash's victory to the Arena which unfortunately didn't go well.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Alder started in a loud voice over the mike "I present to you, this year's winner of the Unova League, _Ashton Ketchup_ of Pallet Town!" He finished in a jovial tone.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Almost the entire arena face faulted at the rather horrendous blunder from the Champion who was looking rather quizzically at the anime tears of Ash.

Trip face-palmed, '_This is the guy I admired the most in my childhood?' _

"What's the matter Ashton, you've just won the league! Cheer up!" Alder said.

"HOW?!" Ash practically screamed "HOW CAN YOU GET MY NAME WRONG?" He then wildly pointed towards the large jumbo-tron, which clearly showed Ash's correct name, "ITS CLEARLY WRITTEN ASH KETCHUM!"

Ash would have yelled even more at the clueless champion if not for a loud voice coming from the stands, which was made clearer by the stunned quietness of the crowd.

"HAH! How's it feel Ash? Huh? How's it feel to get _your _name wrong for once?" Stephan asked in a rather smug and victorious tone.

"What are you talking about Stiphan? No one gets your name wrong." Ash said rather confidently.

"See! SEE! You did it again, its S-T-E-P-H-A-N!" Stephan yelled out in anguish.

"Calm down Stevin, you're creating a scene." Cameron tried to placate his friend. Even Sawk tried to pull its trainer down.

"You did it too!" Stephan yelled out in frustration as security started gathering around him.

"Mr. Stepheen, we advise you to keep quiet, your creating quite a scene." A man in black suit and glasses said to Stephan who almost tore his hair out in frustration, but finally sat down; shaking in anguish all the while.

* * *

"Well, that was weird." Ash said out loud, after things finally came to order as a few league officials convinced Alder that Ash's name was really 'Ash' and not 'Ashton'. The Champion was easily lured to the background as the two beautiful trophy girls came out.

Ash raised the trophy high above in the air as the crowd cheered wildly for the youngest Unova League winner in 10 years.

Garchomp, Pikachu, Dewott, Pignite, Leavanny and Krookodile also stood with proud smiles on their faces. Krookodile's glasses shined with the hundreds of camera-shots being taken.

Ash's eyes shimmered as multiple faces flashed past in his mind...

'_I've finally won guys. Brock, Misty, Tracie, May, Dawn, Max, Iris, Cilan…..Thank you all for supporting me all the while.' _Ash thought of his previous travelling partners as well as best friends. _'I wonder whether they watched my match or not….'_

* * *

_Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh(Before Garchomp vs Flareon)_

* * *

While Ash celebrated his victory in Unova, that didn't mean things were quiet in other places.

"GO ASH! GO ASH! IF YOU CAN'T DO IT NO ONE CAN!" A blue haired teenage girl dressed in a pink cheerleading uniform cheered as she jumped in front of the large television, a brown bunny like Pokémon almost identically dressed doing the same.

"Bun! Bun!" Buneary cheered on her crush Pikachu as he clashed with Umbreon. Piplup was nearby, making his own little sounds of approval.

Dawn had been amazed by the fact that Ash had reached the finals of the Unova League. Not that she didn't have confidence in him, just because it simply was such an amazing achievement! And even if she couldn't go and personally cheer on Ash in Unova, she sure as hell could do it in her home.

Dawn gasped, laughed, cheered and bit her nails as the battle progressed.

Just as Garchomp's Dragon Rage finished off Flareon, Dawn embraced her starter Piplup and Buneary with a squeal "Ash won Piplup! Buneary! He really did it. Little Gible has grown so strong now, dominating opponents...winning leagues... Isn't that right Piplup, after all you and Gible were the best of friends, right?"

Piplup itself was shocked to the core.

Gible had actually evolved!? Gible's Draco Meteors were troublesome enough when he was little, now that he was a beast, how would Piplup even survive?

Apparently, Piplup hadn't forgotten the number of times Gible's Draco meteor hit him out of nowhere.

Johanna sweatdropped from her spot on the couch at the eccentric displays of her daughter and her Pokémon.

Imagine her surprise when she turned on the television to watch the match of Dawn's travelling partner Ash, against a boy named Paul in the Sinnoh league, and she sees her daughter cheering the boy on like a high school cheerleader. And not only cheering, her daughter apparently had the total package, full on with a scanty uniform and Pom-Pom's along with an equally excited Buneary.

...Needless to say, she had been _surprised_, to say the least. But she had been even more surprised when Dawn totally denied that she was in a relationship with the boy. Even though Johanna assured Dawn that she liked Ash, and that his mother was good a person to talk to too and thus she didn't have any problem if Dawn was in a potential relationship with him. But all she got in response were fervent denials and dismissing.

"I get it that you need to support your boyfriend Dawn, but is this all really necessary?" She asked in exasperation.

Dawn froze her celebration and turned beet red, "MOM! How many times do I have to say to you that he is _not_ my boyfriend?" Dawn said in a squeaky voice while her two Pokémon snickered.

Dawn sighed. It was like this ever since she returned from seeing off Ash and Brock after they split up. Her Mom had somehow got the crazy idea that Ash was her boyfriend! Just because she cheered for him in a cheerleaders uniform, travelled with him for more than a year, denied the offer of her childhood friend, who had a crush on her mind you, to travel with, and totally admired him as a trainer and as a friend, didn't mean she _liked _him. At least not in a romantic sense.

Did she?

* * *

_Johto, Azalea Town_

* * *

A group of Co-ordinators were huddled around a Television as the finals of the Unova League was coming to a close, with Garchomp dominating its opponent thoroughly. All four watched anxiously... Well, one of them did, the rest three were somewhat 'convinced' to watch.

May, Soledad, Drew and Harley watched in amazement as Ash's Garchomp curb-stomped Virgil's powerful Flareon. Even though the fight looked to be equal amount of offence from Flareon, Garchomp didn't take any damage at all. That was nothing if not a very one sided battle. Just as the referee raised the flag to indicate Ash's victory, May erupted in a large squeal of joy, causing her fellow Co-ordinators to cover their ears.

"Yeah! Ash won! He really did it!" May yelled happily as she jumped up from her seat. She then pointed a finger dramatically to the slack jawed green haired boy "HA! Take that Drew! You said '_Ash doesn't have a chance of winning'_ but he did! And he didn't just win; he utterly crushed that other boy!"

A little overstated, but oh well.

Glaring at the television, Drew reluctantly came to terms with the fact that the boy he secretly considered his biggest rival, Ash Ketchum, indeed had won the league. '_Hmph, you may have won the league Ash, but the ultimate victory will be mine!'_ He thought resolutely. He had thought that travelling with May during the Johto journey could increase his chances, but so far it was useless.

May not only didn't show any obvious romantic interest in him, whenever she talked about her previous journeys it was always about either Ash, Max or Brock...preferably Ash. And that annoyed Drew to no extent. Even though they did have their... 'moments', so to speak, it had never been enough to make him truly confess.

But keeping all matters of romance aside, Drew didn't have any hard feelings towards the Kanto native. And if he were to be honest to himself, it was about damn time he won a league.

While Drew didn't speak up or comment of Ash's victory, a particular purple haired coordinator had no such plans.

"Hmph, such an uncouth and savage _victory_." Harvey started in a snobbish tone "But then again, what could you probably expect from May's, _**boyfriend**_." Harvey said with a rather smug grin. He knew that his statement would draw the ire of two particular people in the room, but for completely different reasons.

Truth be told, even Harvey was impressed at Ash's dominating victory.

The statement had the obvious effect, as May began to fervently deny any and everything, while Drew glared daggers into a nonchalant Harvey's back.

Sitting on the couch a fair distance away from her fellow rivals. Soledad shook her head at their childish antics and silently congratulated Ash in her mind.

He had really come a long way from when she had last seen him.

* * *

_Pallet Town, Kanto_

* * *

The mood in Pallet town was one not experienced in more than fifteen twenty years.

Not since a certain someone ploughed through the league and became Champion.

But today the same atmosphere was present, even though a little bit subdued. Most of the streets were empty, but each and every house had its lights on. The lone Bar in Pallet was also filled to the brim as people anxiously watched the match of one Ash Ketchum, the first trainer in many years to reach a league Final.

Ever since Devon Corporation had extended its reach into the Television and Marketing Department, people of all regions could now watch the finals and Championship battles of other leagues. People in Kanto could watch the finals of Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova and so on. This also had the added effect of Pokémon league finals now becoming much more marketed and better organised events. The league matches were properly dated, so that the people could watch all of the anticipated matches without missing another. It had extended to such a point that the month of April had been dubbed as '**Battle Month**'. With the final week being the Ultimate finale of five league finals in a row.

* * *

_Professor Oak's Lab_

The tension at Professor Oak's lab was thick enough to be cut with a knife. A large group of Pokémon and humans alike were watching Ash's exciting match against Virgil.

A large screen and projector were set up in the grounds where the Pokémon resided, allowing the large group to comfortably watch the finals. Normally Professor Oak wouldn't have made such extravagant arrangements, but since it was Delia's son in the finals, not to mention he knew the boy since childhood, Oak had decided to make such arrangements.

Professor Samuel Oak, Pokémon watcher Tracy Sketchit, Cerulean city gym leader Misty Waterflower, former Pewter City gym leader and presently Pokémon Doctor in training, Brock Stone, along with a large group of Pokémon, were excitedly watching the fight between Garchomp and Flareon.

"Garchomp is quite impressive." Gary said, which was agreed by all. Even though Garchomp didn't have to show his full strength against Flareon, its power was still impressive, not to mention it was Garchomp's first official battle in its Evolved state.

Delia looked on with pride at her 16 year son. '_It feels as if it was just yesterday my little baby left to fulfil his dream. Even Pikachu didn't listen to him back then' _She thought nostalgically.

A certain orange haired girl was rather slack jawed at the amount of skill showed by Ash in the battle. Real Skill, not the dumb luck and innovative ideas he mostly used.

"Whoa Brock, is that the same brash boy who spent Caterpie against Pidgeotto?" Misty asked rhetorically. She was deeply impressed by the skills Ash's Pokémon showed in the battle, as well as the change in attitude of Ash from a brat to a focused battler.

"I am wondering whether this is the same kid took on Onix with his Pikachu." Brock deadpanned.

"But... it seems that our dear friend has all grown up now." Brock finished proudly. Travelling with Ash for 5 years was an experience he could never forget. It was safe to say that Brock never regretted the day when he made his decision to travel with a brash 10 year old and a fiery redhead.

Brock also realized that Misty missed a lot of Ash's growth during the Hoenn and Sinnoh journeys. Him winning the Battle Frontier was a example of it.

Not to mention Paul… that guy might have been the one to have the greatest effect on Ash. He was the one who shook him up the most.

Misty looked at the television, where an image of Ash was shown. '_He's grown.'_ Misty thought. The last time she had seen him had been during his Hoenn journey. '_It's been way too long Ash.'_ Ash had always been a bit short for his age, but it seemed as if two years in Sinnoh and then in Unova had some effect on Ash. His height was now average for his age, his hair looked tamer, heck even his face looked...mature?

"That's true." Misty agreed with Brock's last statement.

She still fondly remembered the days she spent travelling with Ash, Brock and Tracie. Even May and Max for a little while. The number of legendaries they saw during their journeys was nothing short of extraordinary. More ridiculous was the fact that how many times Ash had risked his own life to save the day and sometimes potentially the world! So many organisations and individuals spent their entire lives looking for legendaries, digging for ancient clues and spending a bucket load of money.

But Ash as a beginning 16 year old had seen and made friends with more legendaries than those researchers ever did!

Ash was her best friend; there was no doubt about it. Even though she had initially followed him as a petty way to get back her bike, the sheer number of dangers and adventures they faced together made them the best of friends. But still Misty couldn't help but question herself, was she and Ash just friends or something more?

She shook her head, now wasn't the time to think such things. Ash needed her support! Although she was a bit sad that she couldn't visit Unova herself. Since the Gym was closed for offseason, she had enough free time to visit Unova. But no one had anticipated Ash to actually reach the Finals; and so the tickets were already sold out by the time anyone could think of going.

At the corner, Tracy was busy sketching the scenes from the battles as fast as he could. He could at least do this much for his friend, even though he couldn't go and support him in person.

* * *

_With Ash's Pokémon_

Staraptor, Gliscor, Swellow, Unfezant and Noctowl watched calmly as they perched upon the large tree present on Torterra's back. Kingler, Palpitoad, Totodile, Buizel and Corphish were watching from their position near the edge of the pond in Oak Corral.

Bulbasaur, Muk, Snorlax, Heracross, Bayleef, Quilava, Donphan, Sceptile, Torkoal, Glailie, Infernape, Scraggy and Boldore squirmed for space on the congested ground as each one tried to get the better view.

Snivy however had a front row seat, seeing as Pignite was fighting in the finals.

The reason for the lack of space could be attributed to mostly two Pokémon. One being Snorlax, whose large body took up much of the space and the other, was a large orange Dragon like Fire Type.

Charizard had come all the way from Charicific Valley to watch the league finals of its trainer with its fellow Pokémon. The fire breathing dragon looked with calculative eyes as Garchomp battled in a style much similar to its own.

Destructive. Brutal.

"_Not a shrimp now, is he Charizard?" _Bulbasaur asked smugly to his long time friend.

Charizard grunted. The first time he had seen Garchomp was when he was just a little Gible. Charizard had called Gible puny and weak, effectively creating a one sided rivalry. But since Gible had evolved into Garchomp the rivalry wasn't entirely one sided now.

"_He might have grown big now, but he ain't no match for me Flower_." Charizard grumbled out, even though he knew that in truth, Garchomp could provide more than just a challenge to him.

"_Sure, whatever you say you overgrown lizard."_ Bulbasaur teased Charizard as he went back towards the place where Ash's grass types were huddled. Charizard gained a tick mark on its head as it scowled towards its old comrade.

"_You wanna go Flower!?"_ Charizard asked as the fire on his tail grew larger, causing much concern among the other Pokémon watching.

Torterra shuffled nervously_. "Um, Bulbasaur, sir, I don't think that you should make Charizard angry."_ Even though Torterra was the largest among all of Ash's Pokémon, it was still the youngest among the grass types. Even Snivy was older than him since she previously belonged to another trainer.

Bulbasaur yawned lazily _"No need to get worried kid, it's not as if he can actually do anything to me."_

Charizard stomped towards Torterra, making the continent Pokémon sweat under his gaze. All of Ash's Pokémon knew of the power Charizard possessed, and thus knew to never piss him off.

"_And why the hell are you calling Bulbasaur 'Sir' anyway? You are the Continent Pokémon for heaven's sake!? You can crush the little flower everyday of the week!"_ Charizard asked incredulously to the nervous Torterra.

However, Charizard's 'size' statement caused a complete silence among the chattering Pokémon.

It was no secret among Ash's Pokémon that Bulbasaur's size was a sore topic for him. Since each and every one of Ash's grass types had evolved till now, Bulbasaur's size was getting to be more of a delicate matter every day. Add to that Snivy's desire to eventually evolve into Serperior, Bulbasaur was definitely not a happy guy to discuss evolutions with.

Unfortunately for Charizard, his comment was wrongly translated into 'Small...is...weak' by many of Ash's smaller Pokémon.

Snivy came forward and looked Charizard in the eyes without flinching _"Are you assuming that Size represents power, Charizard?" _She asked with narrowed eyes and a tone which Charizard duly remembered from his time with Charla.

Charizard gulped. Even though he was many times stronger than Snivy and had the type advantage anyways, that threatening tone of voice which only female Pokémon could make, could make anyone male Pokémon nervous.

"_N-no! I-Its nothing like tha-"_ Charizard's stuttering explanation was cut off as many others started snickering. Most prominently Muk.

"Gurk-Gurk-Gurk" Muk laughed at the whipped behaviour of his Kanto friend.

Charizard clenched its fists to control its anger, but when sounds of 'Pussy' and whips started coming he couldn't take it anymore. He started punching the shit out of Muk, who by the time Charizard ended, was a smear on the ground.

"_How do ya like that glob? Huh?! NOT SO FUNNY NOW IS IT!"_ Charizard asked with triumph in its voice, sneering down at the purple poison type.

But in an event that caused much shock and disbelief, Muk wasn't even knocked out.

"Gurglk-Gurglk-Gurglk" Muk's laughter came from even the smear, which shocked and creeped everyone out.

"Holy shit how did you survive that Muk?" Buizel asked in amazement and mild disgust.

No answer came from the glob, rather, it started growing bigger, and eventually, eyes and mouth appeared onto it. Many of the puncture marks created by Charizard were immediately puffed out, like a 's body gradually regained its shape, without even a scratch on it.

"Gurk-Gurk _That tickled_." He mocked Charizard further, who by this time moved to another place so as to not murder the living blob.

As everyone laughed good naturedly, Totodiles's sudden happy scream got everyone's attention. Every Pokémon turned their eyes towards the projector where they saw Ash's face being illuminated on the T.V. screen, with 'WINNER' written under it.

With most of the Pokémon becoming speechless and wide eyed for probably the third time in that minute, the blue croc decided to take matters into his own hands. Jumping onto the screen, Totodile threw his fist out in victory.

"_Ash has won! I repeat __**ASH HAS WON**__!"_ Totodile yelled in his raspy voice as he started dancing in happiness.

The sudden shout breaking the ice, all of the Pokémon let out a whoop of Joy as multiple elemental attacks were launched in the sky, showing the excitement of the Pokémon. Heck, even Snorlax jumped up once, creating a mild earthquake in Pallet town.

Never mind it went back to sleep immediately after.

While the others celebrated in various manners of triumphs, unseen to all, Bulbasaur made his way to Charizard, who stood a large way back.

"_Yo, Charizard_."

Charizard raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of his old friend, _"What's up Bulbasaur?" _

"_Aren't you happy for Ash? He finally won after all this time_." Bulbasaur said to Charizard who snorted.

"_What a stupid question, of course I'm happy! It's just that... I wish they were here with us too." _

"_Who 'they'?"_ Bulbasaur asked in confusion.

"_Pidgeot, Squirtle and Butterfree. Ya know, the original six."_ Charizard said, with nostalgia seeping from every word.

"_Yeah." _Eyes shimmering as memories long gone by came to life in a matter of seconds,_ "I do wonder many times how are they_." Bulbasaur said as he and Charizard sat facing the beautiful starry night, the two old friends sitting quietly, wondering the fates of their friends.

Looking towards the large dragon, who was looking towards the star draped night sky, a mischievous look came to Bulbasaur's face, "_I can't help but feel that you're getting unusually sentimental today Charizard, can I expect a hug from you too.?" _Bulbasaur asked jokingly.

"_Hmph, don't get too used to it."_

* * *

_500 Ft. In Unova Airspace_

* * *

"Are you sure you can fix it Meowth?" A voice, belonging to a young woman in her twenties, spoke up as two people and two Pokémon huddled around a Television in a Meowth shaped hot air balloon.

"Shut yer trap Jessie, I'm doin' da best I can." Meowth grunted as he hit the Television to finally make it work. "Come on work ya piece of trash!"

Finally the Television started getting a signal, showing Ash's Pikachu clashing with Virgil's Umbreon.

"Wow, the twerp's Pikachu sure is strong." James commented as Pikachu gained the upper hand against Umbreon.

"Well that's why we have been after it for so long." Jessie agreed.

Suddenly both Pikachu and Umbreon fell down, completely exhausted from the battle.

The three gasped "Oh no, Pikachu is down!"

"What can the Twerp send next?" James wondered.

They didn't have to wait for long as Garchomp emerged in all its glory. "It seems he has saved the best for the last."

As Garchomp hit the Dragon Pulse, Meowth exclaimed "Garchomp sure packs a blast!"

"Wobba-Wobbafet!" Wobbafet apparently agreed as it looked down from its position behind Jessie.

When Flareon was finally finished off by the Dragon Pulse, the trio jumped in joy "Woo-hoo! The Twerp really did it!" Jessie yelled as James and Meowth high fived each other.

When the Award ceremony was shown, the trio were almost in tears.

"Sniff-Sniff Da twoip won the league!" Meowth said, wiping a few unfallen tears from the corner of his eyes.

"You know, we've been following the twerp for so long, it seems as if one of us has won it." James said honestly as the other two pondered over his words.

"But don't we want to steal Pikachu?" Meowth asked in confusion.

The trio wondered over the sudden change in thoughts. Even though they had spent so much time and money chasing after the twerps, they could at least admit that it took them to places they had never even imagined before. Heck they remembered the time when they almost sacrificed their own lives to help the twerp! They couldn't help but wonder, what if they even succeed in stealing Pikachu? What then?

Not to mention, the Boss they had so religiously served all these years didn't seem to particularly care about them.

The memory from Operation Tempest was still fresh in their minds.

Jessie, James and Meowth didn't know it then, but they had taken a big step in a positive direction. A direction, which would eventually lead them to their true destinies.

* * *

**XXX**

* * *

**A/N: ** This is it Guys, the first chapter of what I hope to eventually be an excellent Pokémon Fanfiction! I hope that you at least give it a chance and review your thoughts to me about the first chapter and how I should continue it.

And for anyone needing extra motivation for reading this in the future, I will give one spoiler.

Ash will be catching a Tyranitar in the future. (Nice, isn't it?)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for the awesome feedback guys. Getting so many responses really motivated me to give my best for this, and every future chapter for this Fic.

Here's the new Chapter guys, enjoy!

One of the reviewers asked whether Ash will capture Mewtwo. Well, the answer is no. Mewtwo, in my opinion, is the absolute boss Pokémon. He is so much of a fucking Boss that I don't think Lance's Dragonite and Cynthia's Garchomp combined could face him and win. Thus it would be a moot point for Ash to really train any of his other Pokémon. Seeing as he already will have Mewtwo along with so many other strong Pokémon.

No, in this story I wish to focus on the neglected Pokémon of Ash. And also some of the Pokémon that Ash will capture newly, who all will be awesome, I assure you.

Also, Ash will not in any way be unbeatable in this story. There will be moments when he might get his ass handed to him.

On a separate note, I just got my PS3 copy of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Let me tell you with firsthand experience friends, the gameplay is truly awesome and really a must buy if you still live with your parents or earn a shit load of money. I am saying this because its only 2 hours long, but what great 2 hours man!

**XXX**

_AshPOV_

I blearily opened my eyes as I woke up. I felt a weight on my chest, making me breathe harder than I needed to. I smiled at seeing my long time companion, Pikachu happily snuggling on my chest along with my Unova League Trophy-

Wait what.

"Trophy?" I muttered out in confusion. I sat up, careful enough to put the electric type beside me since it was never nice to get a good-morning-Thundershock from Pikachu, who I had learned from experience was not a morning Pokémon. I carefully picked up the trophy and turned it sideways to see who it belonged to.

"Ash...Ketchum...Unova LEAGUE WINNER!" My voice and eyes grew larger with every word I read. I rested against the wall joined to my bunk with a smile on my face. '_So it really happened huh? I really won the league.' _I looked around the room to see my travel companions Iris and Cilan out of their beds, probably getting ready from breakfast.

"Pikachu?" A curious voice broke my thoughts as I turned to look at my starter Pokémon.

I held up the trophy for him to see. "Look at this Pikachu. After all we've been through, we finally did it." A tear almost escaped from my eyes, but I held it back. One of the things I remembered my dad saying was that real men never cry, seeing as I am 16 now it's better late than never.

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped into my arms with a happy voice. Pikachu was really happy for its trainer. Each and every Pokémon of Ash knew how close he held his dream to his heart and even though they didn't show it, they were always disappointed when they came up short in the leagues

After getting freshened up, I walked to the cafeteria with Pikachu on his usual position on my shoulder. I expected Iris, Cilan and Axew to greet me, so needless to say I was pleasantly surprised to see all my friends gathered together eating breakfast, although there was a bit glaring between Georgia and Iris. Trip was absent, seeing as his relative's home was in the nearby town.

"Good morning Guys!" I greeted them as I walked to the buffet table to get my breakfast.

**XXX**

Ash's Unova rivals and friends sat together on a large table which Nurse Joy was kind enough to provide for them. Since it was already late night by the time Ash's battle was over, they had decided to stay the night in the Pokémon centre and leave the next day.

"How the hell can you eat that much!?" Georgia asked in disgust as Stephan gulped down a rather large portion. She herself was eating a normal breakfast of Bread and Boiled Eggs.

As Stephan gulped down another large serving of pasta, he wiped his mouth to give a intelligible reply to Georgia, but before he could do that, he along with everyone on the table, excluding Iris and Cilan, was shocked to his inner core as Ash sat down on the table.

Ash looked at them with a puzzled expression, but thought it might be because he had won the league yesterday. He then began his...'_breakfast'._

_10 minutes Later_

"Well, that was some nice breakfast. I wonder what's for desert." Ash asked to none in particular. Everyone stared at Ash in amazement as he patted his barely swollen stomach. It was as if he had never eaten the mountain of food!

"W-W-Wh-How?" Bianca couldn't even form a proper sentence as Iris patted her on the back. "Don't worry Bianca, it happened to us too." Iris said as she nodded her head in understanding. The strangest thing was that Ash didn't eat like a glutton, in fact his table manners where quite top notch, making it even more weird how he was able to eat all that food all the while maintaining his table manners.

"You all shouldn't really be surprised, Ash usually eats way more for dinner." Cilan said casually as everyone's eyes widened even further.

"Where the hell does that all go!?" Georgia asked the question which was on everyone's mind, even Iris and Cilan. The food Ash ate daily could hardly be considered vastly nutritious, and did in fact contain a lot of fat. But Ash wasn't fat or even chubby. He had remained rather skinny till his Hoenn journey and it was only in Unova that his body matured enough to start getting visible Muscles.

Stephan was shocked too, but for a completely different matter. '_How did Ash eat more than me!? I had thought I was the person who ate the most in our group but Ash had defeated me once again !' _Stephan raged in his mind._ 'You are a even more worthier rival than I thought Ash, now I have one more thing I need to defeat you in!'_

Even Cameron was shocked, but decided to keep quiet and focus on his own food, because if he looked at Ash for even one second, there was no doubt he would lose his entire appetite.

**XXX**

I patiently sat on the seat before one of the video phones in the Pokémon centre. I was calling Kanto mom, since there was no doubt she would love to hear the news of my victory.

* RING RING * RING RING *

"Hello, Ketchum Residence." The sweet voice of my mother spoke up as her picture came on the screen. Delia Ketchum was a woman in her 30's. But anyone who saw her beautiful face couldn't mistake her to be more than 20, much less a mother of a 16 year old teenager.

"Hey Mom!" I began with a grin before my mom cut me off with the shrillest squeal she had ever made.

"Ashy! I am ssooo proud of you Honey! And you too Pikachu!" She said with the brightest smile I saw on her face in a long time. But first things first, how did she even know about my victory. As far as I remembered, no foreign league battles where shown when I lived with my mom.

"Thanks mom." "Chu Pikachu!"

"But how did you know mom?" I asked.

"I watched your match silly!" She stated the obvious. "Now every regions League Battles are shown on Television." She added as an explanation.

I nodded in wonder. '_Every region huh. When I left for my journey, I didn't even know about any of the other regions.'_ I conveniently chose to forget about my less than stellar marks in Geography.

"So how are you mom?" I asked the question probably everyone asked their loved ones after calling.

"I am fine honey, but you Pokémon are not." She said with a stern face.

I almost fell down my chair in shock "What happened to them!?" I asked/demanded.

"They miss you of course!" She said as I almost face-faulted "But now since you have won the league, they are even more anxious to meet you. "

I nodded in understanding '_After all, they are **my **Pokémon.' _Of course they will be excited to see the trophy. But how did they know I won the-

"All of them were so excited when your match was being shown. Samuel set up a large screen and projector in his backyard to watch the match with all your Pokémon. Even Misty and Brock came!"

Mom answered my unasked question; did she read my mind or something? My eyes grew a bit wide when Mom mentioned Brock and Misty, it had been so long since I had talked to them.

I looked at the time, it was almost 12 o'clock. Me, Iris and Cilan had decided to take off on our journey at mid-day, and since it was the beginning of summer, the atmosphere would be perfect of travelling in Unova. The reason being that Unova was a naturally cooler place than Hoenn or Kanto, since it was located in the southern regions.

"Talk to you later mom, Take care!" I said with a smile as I prepared to cut off the phone.

"You too Honey, and by the way when are you returning home?" She asked anxiously, obviously jittery to again see her son in the person after such a long time.

"Me, Iris and Cilan have decided to return to Kanto through the Decolora Islands. So give or take, we will be home in 1 month." I said as I explained to Mom the one month delay. We were originally scheduled to return in one week, but the Decolora Islands were too nice of a place to write off! If only I knew.

"Be safe Ash, and give my love to Iris and Cilan too!" That's my Mom, always so caring and affectionate!

"And don't forget to change your underwear daily Ash!" She said in a cheery tone as she cut off the phone. Damn, sometimes I wonder whether she does that to just embarrass me.

I turned around as sounds of heavy snickering came. Turning around I blushed in embarrassment at seeing all of my friends snickering, heck even Cilan was among them!

" '_Change your underwear Ashyyyyyy' _" Cameron said in a poor imitation of my Mom's voice as he and Lucario high-fived at their bad joke.

Well it was _bad _for me.

"What a kid." Iris said in her usual tone. And for once everyone could actually agree with her.

"Looks like you've got a very doting mother Ash." Georgia deadpanned, in slight disbelief over what she had just heard. It was as if Ash never grew up from the 10 year kid who left his home on his journey in Mrs. Ketchum's eyes.

"Yeah Yeah, veryyyy funny guys. Laugh it up everyone!" I said sarcastically as I waved my hands around, which unfortunately had the wrong effect as everyone actually started laughing harder.

"Tch. Looks like I am not getting the respect I deserve over here Pikachu." I grumbled to my starter who almost snorted as he controlled his own quiet snickering. I however didn't really notice.

"Hmph, let's go outside Pikachu, where my legion of fans must be waiting for me." I said in a regal tone as I walked towards the gates of the Pokémon centre.

"Yeah, as if." Stephan said as he nudged Cameron. Why would Ash have fans?

But to everyone's shock, I was actually mobbed by a group of 6 girls.

All of my friends rushed out to see the unbelievable scene of Ash Ketchum actually having fans. And not only that, _female _fans.

"Hey look it's the Unova league winner!" A brunette girl said as her friends looked on at Ash in wonder.

"Hello!" I greeted them with a smile, which for some unknown reason made them even happier.

"Wow he's such a cutie, isn't that right Isa?" One of them not-so-subtly whispered to her blonde haired friend.

"Yeah, just look at those cute Z's on his face!" The blonde girl gushed over my birth marks for some reason.

"Well I've got them since my bir-" I tried to explain but was again cut off from one of the girls, who looked at me with a disarmingly beautiful smile.

**XXX**

What Ash did not know was that these were the exact kind of girls to keep away from if one becomes a famous teen celebrity. But Ash being Ash didn't really know all this and happily accepted the questions and requests of the girls. In all respects, Ash was in no way a bad looking guy; in fact he was quite handsome with his travelling toned body and spiky black hair. But Ash's love for Pokémon and overly innocent upbringing by his mother prevented him from getting into romantic relationships with any of the girls who expressed an interest in him. The fact of the matter was that Ash didn't even know much about male female relationships, other than that couples kissed and spent time together...or something. (1)

His friends looked on in wonder as Ash was gushed over by a gaggle of pretty teenage girls as if he was some teen celebrity. Which he probably is since he in fact is one of the youngest winners of the Unova league till date.

Georgia's eyes twitched when the clueless league winner was made to stand with the girls for many pictures in various poses. The coup came when two of the girls even kissed each one of Ash's cheeks, who was blushing bright red by that time, and got a picture taken.

Finally the girls dispersed, but not before squeezing the life out of Pikachu, apparently happy with their work. Ash walked towards his friends with a normal smile on his face, as if he had not just now been mobbed by hormonal teenage girls.

"Wow, those girls were awfully friendly, huh Pikachu?" The unbelievably naive boy asked his equally dense starter.

Almost everyone twitched at that particular statement, but decided to remain quiet. Spending half a day with Ash had introduced them to more than enough quirks of his; they didn't need to learn more.

**XXX**

_Time Skip: 1 month_

I took a deep breath as me and my two companions stood on the hill preceding Pallet Town. The town itself was visible in all its peaceful glory today. A moderately large number of one and two storied houses, with a single multi storied building serving as the city's mall. Visible even from such a great distance was Pallet Town's greatest landmark, Professor Samuel Oak's lab.

"A wonderful mixture of peace and quiet, you town makes up for a unique flavour indeed Ash!" Cilan couldn't help but pour his heart out at the seeing the beautiful town, untouched by the pollution ridden machinery from larger cities, and unharmed from major gangs due to Professor Oak's and a great number of seasoned trainer's presence.

I smiled at Cilan's odd explanation. I had gotten rather used to his eccentric speeches and behaviour, it was all a part of his profession. Being a sommelier was not an easy job, and to see Cilan's passion for it made my heart glow-

Dammit now I am talking like him too!

Our little detour through the Decolora Islands turned out to be anything, but. Between foiling Team Plasma's plans, changing N's ideals regarding Pokémon trainers, stopping and making friends with Genesect, and meeting a female Mewtwo, our detour turned into another adventure in itself.

And for that matter, I will have to remember to inform Mewtwo, the original one, about another one of its species existing…that is if we ever meet again.

I shook my head as I walked with practised ease towards my home. Since I had already informed Mom about our arrival in Pewter City, there was no chance of her not being at home!

**XXX**

I walked rather embarrassed towards Professor Oak's lab. It turned out neither Mom nor Mr. Mime was present at home. So the only other place I could go to was Oak's lab, which had the added benefit of meeting all of my Pokémon.

But much to my confusion, neither Professor Oak nor Tracie was present in the lab. "Where the heck is everyone?" I was actually getting worried now.

"Did you tell your Mom the correct time of your arrival Ash?" Iris asked with concern.

I furrowed my brows as I tried to remember "I'm pretty sure that I did. Strange thing is that even Brock wasn't present at the Pewter Gym."

Suddenly Pikachu's ears twitched as it jumped off my shoulder. "What's the matter Pikachu?" Cilan asked to the yellow rodent.

Pikachu didn't say anything, muttering a mild 'Pika' it started running towards the direction where the gate separating the lab and the fields was present.

"H-hey Pikachu, wait up!" I shouted as I ran after my renegade Pokémon, Iris and Cilan following close after me.

"Pika PIKACHU!" Pikachu yelled as it jumped on the door, opening it.

"What's the matter Pikachu? Why we-"I was by a loud group chorus.

"SURPRISE!" Came a large muddled voice. I looked with a bright smile as I saw all of my previous travelling companions, bar Max, standing before me, with a huge 'CONGRATULATIONS ASH KETCHUM' poster hanging between two poles present in the field.

"Whoa! How are all you guys here!? I asked in amazement. Last I heard, Dawn was in Hoenn, May in Johto and Brock off to be a Pokémon Doctor. Not to forget Misty had her duties as the Cerulean City Gym Leader.

"Well silly, you didn't expect us to _not_ come to congratulate you, did you?" Dawn asked as she giggled, probably at my gaping fish expression. Dawn started walking towards me. Dawn's outfit was the same as the one she wore during our Sinnoh adventures, just the colour of top was changed from Black to White. But she somehow looked..._different. (1)._ We did our usual Hi-Five, but for some reason her fingers got entwined with my own, which even strangely caused her cheeks to glow red.

"Pip-Piplup!" Piplup exclaimed from its position between Dawn's arms. Piplup was happy to meet again after so many months. After Dawn and her Mom, Ash and Brock were his favourite persons, not to mention his best friend Pikachu!

"Congratulations at winning the league Ash! You really deserved to win." May said with a genuine smile as she started moving towards me. May's outfit was also similar to the one she wore during the time we met in Sinnoh for the Wallace cup, but the colour scheme was green instead of orange. But I couldn't help but notice the same strange ...differences in her like Dawn.(2)

"Yeah Ash, you finally achieved the first part of your dream Ash. We are all very happy for you!" Brock said with a proud smile as he looked towards his younger brother in all but blood.

"You certainly have come a long way from the little kid I caught on my fishing pole 6 years ago, Ash" Misty joked as she came near me. Misty's outfit had not changed much since the time I met her in Hoenn, but she had grown taller and somehow looked different, just like May and Dawn.(3)

"Well then I must be your greatest catch yet Misty!" I said with a grin, but much to my confusion she didn't grin back or even get angry. Rather, her cheeks too glowed red just like Dawn's.

"Well, who are the two people behind you Ash?" May asked curiously as she looked at Iris and Cilan.

"Huh-wha-Oh yeah, guys meet Iris and Cilan. They were my travelling partners throughout my Unova Adventures!" I said as Iris and Cilan moved forwards to meet up with my older companions.

I however had a question to ask to May "Hey May, where's Max?" I asked.

"Max has already left on his Pokémon journey Ash." She replied.

"Wow! Really? What did he choose as his starter?" I asked with excitement.

May giggled at seeing Ash so excited, it was just so _Ash-_ish "He chose Treecko, they are already quite a team you know. He said that it was after seeing your Sceptile that he decided on Treecko." May explained.

Ash smiled at that. Sceptile is indeed one of his strongest Pokémon, not to mention fastest. But then a sudden thought came to his mind. "But then what about Ralts?"

"He is planning to take him once he meets him on his journey."

"And what about you May?" I asked one of my best friends who I was seeing after a couple of years.

"I've been fine. You know, the usual, competing in Contests, defeating Harley and Drew." She said in a casual tone of voice.

I chuckled "I'm sure May. You're one of the best co-ordinator I have ever met." I said in a genuine tone.

May suddenly grew sad at that. "But that wasn't enough for me to win the Grand Festival." She said as she bitterly remembered her semi-final finish.

"No need to worry, May." I said, taking a page out of my bluenette friend "You should be really proud of your achievements; I wasn't able to reach the top four until fifth year of my journey! You are much more talented than 90% of the people I have met May, both you and Dawn." I said as I put a hand on May's shoulder, making her turn red for some reason.

"T-Thanks Ash." May said as she smiled at Ash. Truth be told, she really missed Ash, Brock and Max's constant support while in Johto. The worst thing was that Ash wasn't there to cheer her up when Harley constantly tried to put her down, and that really affected her performance many times. But she also knew that she had to get used to such things if she really wanted to achieve something big. Being dependent on others will never allow her to reach her true potential.

True, Drew was there for her many times, and even supported her on her Contests.

But that didn't mean that she didn't miss them… and _him._

**XXX**

"So you're the new girl who travelled with Ash." Misty said as she looked at the purple haired girl.

"Hello, I'm Misty Waterflower, the Cerulean City gym leader. I travelled with Ash during his Kanto, Johto and Orange Island journeys." Misty said with a smile as she introduced herself to the long haired dark skinned girl.

"We've already met, but for the sake of formality, I'm Dawn and I travelled with Ash on his Sinnoh Journeys!" Dawn said with a bright smile as she hugged Iris.

"I'm May Maple, nice to meet you! I travelled with Ash during his Hoenn and Kanto Battle Frontier Journeys." May introduced herself as she shook hands with Iris. She had managed to remove the light flush from her face as she had walked back to the girls, not intending to give them the wrong idea.

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Iris, and I travelled with Ash through Unova!" Iris formally introduced herself with a smile.

"Axew Ax!" The three girls were startled as the green dinosaurian Pokémon emerged from Iris's wild hair.

Iris giggled at Axew. "Oh yeah, and this is my partner Axew!" The three girls smiled at the cute little Pokémon as he jumped off Iris to meet up with the Unovan Pokémon of Ash.

"So, how was it travelling with Ash?" Dawn asked. Misty and May were intrigued too.

Iris touched her chin with her finger as she took on a thinking pose. "Well, it was pretty nice. Although we did get into some serious trouble many times."

"Yeah, we can attest to that." Misty said with a knowing smile.

"So, um, what do you think about Ash?" May asked with a tone that immediately made the other two girls pay attention as well.

Iris was confused by the rather sudden question, but answered nonetheless "He is a pretty nice guy, and always helps his friends." Iris said with a smile as she remembered all the times Ash had helped her out. "But he could really be such a kid sometimes, ya know." She added with a sigh. The Cottonee incident and the later on his interaction with those girls really proved her beliefs.

Dawn was confused by this statement of Iris, after travelling with Ash through Sinnoh, she could hardly consider Ash immature. It took a whole lot of courage to face Team Galactic. Not to mention the gods known as Arceus, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina. For god's sake he rode on Giratina's head!

May and Misty were of similar minds. May still remembered the time Ash pushed her into the escape capsule selflessly to save her life. That moment was easily the most terrifying one of her life, not only was she scared for her own life, but most of all of Ash's. She had never been more relieved than when she saw Ash emerge from the sea. And later on, the incident with Groudon was fresh in her mind.

"What do you mean by that Iris?" Dawn asked with a confused tone.

Iris sighed as she began to tell the girls about how Ash had perceived the emotions of the Cottonee they met, as well as his obliviousness to the girls' true motives. By the end the trio didn't know whether to laugh or hand their heads in despair at the level of naïveté their friend (?) showed.

As Iris noted the rather obvious show of emotions on the girls' faces, a glint entered her eyes. As Dawn and Misty took their leave to meet with Cilan and Ash, she looked at May with a devious smile, who sweated nervously.

"Uhm, W-What's the matter Iris?" May asked rather nervously at seeing the expression on her new friend's face.

"So that's why you asked me that question, huh May." Iris said as she raised her eyebrows in a knowing manner.

"W-What?"

"So you like him huh?" Iris asked in a rather normal tone.

"H-HUH?!" May was shocked at the bluntness of the purple haired girl.

"You like him, that's why you asked me about how I felt about Ash." She said as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. In any other situation, it might even have been funny.

"N-no! I mean yes, of course I like him, he's my friend!" May exclaimed as she furiously nodded her head.

"Oh come on, don't play shy with me May, I promise I won't tell him." Iris said as she put her hand on May's shoulder to placate the older girl who had turned red by this point.

"W-Well, I-I might like him a _little _bit." May said as she poked her fingers shyly. She didn't even think about how a girl she had just met made her say one of her biggest secrets. The fact of the matter was that no one had ever asked her about her feeling about Ash so bluntly before, so it was not as if she had a ton of practise denying it.

Iris smiled at May with a smile too genuine to be real. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? But what are you going to do about the other two?" Iris asked as a small frown appeared on May's face.

"What other two?" May asked.

"Well, you know, Dawn and Misty." Iris said in a whispering tone as she pointed towards the two girls chatting animatedly with Ash, who had just been mauled by his various Pokémon.

May was rather stunned by the revelation. "They like Ash too!?"

Iris shook her head in exasperation, were all of Ash's friends, except her, little kids?

**XXX**

"So you're Cilan huh. Nice to meet the guy who took over my job to feeding the bottomless pit known as Ash's stomach!" Brock said good naturedly as he shook hands with the green haired sommelier.

"And I'm Tracy, I travelled with Ash during the time we visited the Orange Islands. Tracy said as he smiled at Cilan.

Cilan smiled "It's nice to meet you two too. Ash talked a lot of times about how he could never choose between mine and your cooking." Cilan added with a laugh.

"That's Ash for you, Pokémon and Food, the two main things in his life!"

**XXX**

I stood alone on a bare patch of earth. It was as if even the grass knew not to grow in such a potentially dangerous place. Pikachu had already jumped off my shoulder and was standing a safe distance away, even he didn't have the courage to face the danger I was acing right now.

The yearly _affectionate _**mobbing** of me by my ever growing number of Pokémon.

Bayleef, Quilava, Totodile, Kingler, Bulbasaur and just about each and every one of my Pokémon nuzzled me. I was lucky that Snorlax was lazy enough to stay a safe distance back. But all of 30 Tauros were unfortunately full of energy and thus didn't hold back.

"Alright! Alright! Cut it out guys!" I yelled in vain as my Pokémon kept hugging me to their hearts content, Bayleef and Muk being the most emotional ones.

Finally happy, my Pokémon let go of me as they stood in a large circle surrounding me. It was a tradition we had developed since Hoenn, each year I would introduce my newly caught Pokémon to the older ones.

Suddenly a _relatively_ harmless Flamethrower hit me in the face, singing my upper clothes and hair.

Wait a minute. A Flamethrower? Infernape, Quilava and Torkoal never hit me, so it could only be-

"Charizard!" I yelled happily as I turned around to hug my first Fire Type. I had sent back Charizard after a couple of weeks since I had wanted to spent more time with Garchomp. I had expected Charizard to return to Charicific valley, so it was a pleasant surprise to me to see Charizard was still here with his older friends.

"Chaaa." The normally brutal Charizard nuzzled his trainer happily. Ash was the one and only person Charizard ever allowed to touch him like this. Not even Liza had this privilege. He could probably allow Brock and Misty, but only because Brock made such good food and Misty, well, because she could get absolutely bat-shit crazy if denied something she really wants.

Yeah, even Charizard knew better than to anger Misty. Facing a Hyper Beam happy Tyranitar was a better option for him.

"We've got some new friends guys, so I want you all to welcome them into our family and make friends with them, OK?" I asked my Pokémon as they enthusiastically yelled their names in response.

Ash didn't know it, but whenever his Pokémon heard him call them his _family_, it warmed their hearts immensely.

I threw the 5 Pokeballs that were present on my belt. "Dewott, Pignite, Leavanny, Krookodile, Garchomp, come on out!" The five figures of varying sizes materialized from their respective Pokeballs.

"Snivy, Unfezant, Scraggy, Palpitoad and Boldore, come and join your friends." I ordered as the five Pokémon duly came and stood in a line with their friends. Garchomp got the gist of what was happening as he left the group to go stand with the Sinnoh Pokémon.

I watched with happiness as Buizel sized up Dewott, who did the same. No doubt both of them sensing each other's competitive nature and love for battling. Pignite and Infernape fist bumped, both of them happy to get a perfect sparring partner, seeing as both of them had dual Fire/Fighting Typing. Leavanny and Snivy joined my other grass types, Snivy already familiar with them and Leavanny quickly making herself a favourite due to her nature of making cool Poke-clothes.

Boldore and Krookodile stalked off somewhere, neither of them particularly eager to make friends. I hoped that would change soon. Unfezant also rejoined her previous place on the tree where his other flying types rested.

Pikachu himself had gathered a large group of Pokémon including those of Dawn, May and Misty. It was something Pikachu did every year. He made the entire Pokémon available gather in a group and recount to them the various adventures and Legendaries they came across while travelling in the new region. Most of the Pokémon were in disbelief when Pikachu said that Cilan's food was almost as good as Brock's. They hadn't thought such a thing to be possible!

Scraggy however stayed by my side. I saw that a few tears were leaking down its face. I knelt down to its level. "Hey Buddy." I greeted him gently.

Scraggy didn't reply, it merely jumped at me with all its strength and hugged me tight. "What's the matter Scraggy, don't you wanna make new friends?" I asked Scraggy. Frankly I was getting scared by his behaviour. Was he sick?

Thankfully my worries were put to rest as a voice I knew from a long time spoke up. "It's because Scraggy recognises you as his parent Ash."

"But how come, Professor Oak?" I asked, confused.

"Since it was you who Scraggy saw first after hatching, and you again who raised him, Scraggy naturally sees you as his parent." Professor Oak said, going in his Professor mode.

"But then why was he crying?" I asked the second question which was bugging me the most.

"You left him for many days in my ranch Ash, naturally Scraggy must have missed you a lot."

"I see." I muttered as a wave of guilt passed over me. I hugged my shaking Pokémon tighter, which almost immediately made him happy.

"I am so sorry buddy." I apologised to Scraggy, who by now had passed the stage of raging emotions and was now blushing in embarrassment over its overemotional display.

"Scraggy Scrag." Which basically translated into '_It's alright father.'_

Unfortunately, me and my Pokémon were caught during our bonding time by two of my best _girl _friends.

"Aww...How cute!" Dawn gushed over me and Scraggy while Misty looked impressed.

"You really take good care of your Pokémon Ash." She commented.

I smiled back as Scraggy motioned for me to put him down. Almost immediately he ran away, his face a deep scarlet over being seen by so many people. He was the hoodlum Pokémon dammit!

"So how've you two been Dawn, Mist?" I asked my two friends as I motioned for them to sit beside me.

**"**_Fine_**!"** Both said almost simultaneously, which made all of us chuckle. "And what about you Ash? Knowing you, you must have gotten into some serious crime fighting in Unova too," Dawn lightly teased as she sat on my right. Misty didn't even wait to hear the answer, it was so predictable. She took the seat on my right.

I grinned. "You got that right Dawn, there was this crazy team called Team Plasma, and it's even crazier leader Ghetsis! Their goal, which seemed somewhat nice at first, was Pokémon Liberation..." By the time I finished my story, both of the girls were in disbelief that any organisation could even dream of something as radical as Pokémon Liberation. More than 95% of the trainers treated their Pokémon with love and respect. The few who abused their Pokémon were mostly caught and spent _long _terms in jail. But unfortunately few got away, giving bad name to the masses.

Pokémon were naturally inclined for battle. Being captured by trainers provided them a safe environment for such and also timely nutritious food. Each Pokémon also dreamed of being the strongest of its kind, which was never possible while remaining in the wild. Also, Pokémon battles extremely rarely resulted in death of battling Pokémon, while territorial battles had a much higher mortality rate. It also helped create an unprecedented bond between the sentient creatures and human beings.

"But you must admit Ash, as horrible as Team Plasma was, they didn't match up to Team Galactic. I mean they literally tried to erase our universe and create a new one!" Dawn said in a matter of fact tone as Misty's jaw dropped.

"Are you serious Dawn?" She asked in an incredulous tone to my bluenette friend. Me an d dawn proceeded to tell Misty about the events with the Lake Trio and the Red Chain. Misty listened with horrified fascination as a shiver made up her spine at the thought of Glactic's Plans actually coming true!

"There's no saying what they could have achieved with Dialga and Palkia under their control." I said seriously "Remember, Alamos Town Dawn?" I asked to the girl on my right.

"That was a scary experience alright." She said as a dry chuckle escaped her throat.

"I thought that I would die Dawn, but you really saved my life back there." I said as I remembered the particular incidence where I was nearly blown off due to the intensity of Dialga and Palkia's attacks.

She blushed a bit at the memory, where she held Ash's hands and he held her own. Truth be told, she had never been more scared in her life than at that particular moment. Meeting the Pokémon who were known to create the very universe, along with Arceus himself, was something she won't forget, ever.

Suddenly Dawn's eyes went on Buizel, who was staring back at her. It was then that I remembered that Buizel used to be Dawn's Pokémon before I exchanged Ambipom for it. "Go and meet him Dawn. Buizel must be very happy seeing you after such a long time."

Dawn happily nodded and went to greet her former Pokémon, who jumped into her arms with affection. This left me and Misty sitting quietly together. I decided to indulge her into a question as well. "So how are things at the gym Mist?"

"Truth be told Ash, after hearing about your adventures in Unova and Sinnoh, my life at the gym feels extremely boring. I really miss the days I spent travelling with you, Brock and Pikachu, nothing could compare with that." She said with a sad smile and took a moment to curse her sister for leaving her burdened with their responsibilities, even though she actually liked the gym.

I frowned at seeing the sad expression on Misty's face. I took one of her hands into my own, eliciting a startled gasp from her. "You know you could travel with me anytime Misty." I said genuinely as I looked into her eyes. I had read somewhere that saying something good while looking into the other person's eyes makes them believe it.

But it had another effect on Misty. Her face flushed red at the closeness between her and Ash's face, intensified by the fact that Ash was holding her hand. "I-I ah-Thank you Ash." She said back with a light stutter as she diverted her gaze.

I smiled at hearing those words. But a sudden cough caught both mine and Misty's attention. I turned to see my oldest and fiercest rival, but now friend, Gary Oak. He was looking at us with an amused smile, which immediately made Misty retract her hands from mine and take her leave as I watched on in confusion.

"You work fast Ashy Boy." Gary said with a knowing grin. He had arrived way back and had been observing the various girls interaction with Ash, as well as eavesdropping on Iris's and May's talk. He didn't have a particular reason to do so, it just felt as the fun thing to do at the time.

"Work fast? What?" I asked in confusion. This only made Gary shake his head. Dammit I hate it when people treat me like an Idiot!

"Leave it Ashy Boy. And by the way congratulations at winning the league Ash." Gary said with a smirk as he extended his hand, which I shook strongly. "Thanks Gary, it wasn't easy I can tell you that."

"I know, I saw your match." Gary said casually.

"What!? You did?" I asked incredulously. By that point on we endlessly discussed my various strategies during the battle. It was as if me and Gary were kids again. Discussing the various fine points of the battle we saw on Television those days was our favourite past time. Now that Gary was a researcher, his knowledge of Pokémon far surpassed mine, so it was mostly him who gave reviews on my 6vs6 against Virgil.

"So how's your research coming along Gary?" I asked as a way of diverting Gary from a particularly scathing speech about how I shouldn't have continued Leavanny against Flareon.

This had the intended effect as Gary's trademark smirk returned. "You wouldn't believe it Ashy Boy, but I and my fellow researchers have made a great breakthrough into the technology involved in reviving fossil Pokémon." Gary was rather confused at seeing the terrified expression on Ash's face. "What's the matter Ash?"

"Don't get me wrong Gary, but I think that fossil Pokémon should be left to Rest in Peace." I said with seriousness. Genesect were crazy strong Pokémon, and with the additional enhancements done to them even more. And although I had made friends with them after the misunderstanding was over, it would have been best if they had never been revived.

"You're being vague Ashy Boy, tell me what happened." Gary almost demanded. Gary had heard of the various adventures Ash fell into with Legendary Pokémon, and it was safe to say that Gary was _very_ jealous.

"Do you know anything about a Pokémon called Genesect?"

**XXX**

Gary stood dumbfounded at the newfound knowledge that Genesect, a Pokémon extinct from millions of years, was not only alive, but a whole group was so.

"Ash, I know that this has been said many times before, but your idiocy is perhaps unrivalled by anyone, Pokémon or Human." Gary said with utmost seriousness as he sympathetically clapped his hands on Ash's shoulder.

"What! Why?" I was shocked by the sudden insult from Gary. Hadn't we put this behind us?

"Look back at your adventures Ash; you've seen almost every legendary Pokémon known of. If that isn't something extraordinary then I don't know what it. Do you even know how much you could contribute in the scientific society if you share your knowledge with the Grandpa, or even me!? You could help solve so many mysteries Ash. Heck, probably the only legendary you might have not seen is Arceus!" Gary added with a laugh in the end. But the laugh started dying down when he looked at Ash, who was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, actually." I started.

"God fucking dammit." Gary rubbed his forehead at the godly luck of Ash.

**XXX**

Gary was almost in a coma by the time I finished retelling my experience at Alamos, then with Giratina and the reverse world and finally the one where Arceus woke up and almost destroyed the world in its rage.

"Why?" He asked in a whisper.

"Why what?" I asked in confusion. Why was Gary acting so oddly anyways?

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this?" He added another whisper.

"Is it really that important?" I asked as a frown made its way to my face.

Gary twitched. Most Professors he knew would sell their left nut to meet and befriend half as many Legendaries as Ash had met. And this moron was asking him _is it important_?

Gary didn't say anything, he just broke down into sobs and dragged Ash's ass to Professor Oak's lab.

**XXX**

_1 hour later_

I twitched from the place on the couch. Both Professor Oak and Gary were frothing from their mouths as they lay unconscious on the ground. First of all Gary had forced me to tell Professor Oak about my Sinnoh adventures. While they started writing crazily on a notepad, Gary urged me to tell about my every experience with Legendary Pokémon, which I gladly retold. Well except Mewtwo, I wouldn't break my promise to him to keep his existence a secret. I guessed that the Fem Mewtwo I met with Iris and Cilan counted in that too, so I just left out Fem. Mewtwo's role in stopping Genesect.

That made it pretty hard, actually. With the Fem Mewtwo 'evolving', so to say, the story seemed even more prudent to keep a secret. I think that the time to meet the original Mewtwo was rapidly approaching. He would surely be excited to meet another member of his...'species', and not to mention know about the possibility of a higher power state for him...

The thought made me shudder in mild horror. While Fem Mewtwo was strong, and even stronger in her evolved state, I had no doubt that my Charizard and Garchomp combined could have given her an adequate challenge. The Champions wouldn't have had problem with their strongest Pokémon.

But the original Mewtwo... That was the pure definition of what a Pokémon could be after reaching the levels that only the Creation Trio of Sinnoh had reached. Mewtwo wasn't bluffing when he said that he could destroy Kanto, it was only luck that Mew came to duel him. If Mewtwo achieved his own Evolution, even the Champions combined would not have been able to take him on.

Both of the Oak's eyes had kept on widening as I continued telling them about my experiences, at one point Professor Oak had snatched my Pokedex from me and plugged it into a computer, after which their breathing had also gotten heavier. By the time I finished recounting my meeting with Zekrom, Reshiram and Victini; Gary had already passed out, with Professor Oak following soon after learning about Genesect.

I sighed as I leant back into the couch I was sitting on. Since all of my Pokémon were out in the fields, I had to wait for the normal amount of time it could take Gary and Professor Oak to wake up from their temporary coma. I looked around the room which I had seen countless amount of times since my childhood.

My mother, Delia Ketchum, had been a student of Professor Oak in her childhood and teenage years. Thus it was with no surprise that I was a frequent visitor to his lab in my younger days and first developed my love for Pokémon. Professor Oak's Dragonite was my absolute favourite at that time. Although his Charizard always looked as if he knew me already, which was quite strange.(4) It was also here that I first met Gary. The room had changed a lot in the last 10 years. A lot of new charts and updated models depicting various scientific mumbo-jumbo were newly established in the room. But my eyes felt on an official looking brochure kept on the table. As I picked it up, my eyes widened at seeing to whom it was addressed to, as well as a Pokémon League Letter falling out of it.

I opened up the letter, which was also addressed to me, and started reading through it. By the time I finished reading my mind was in a similar state as both the Oaks.

"_Dear Mr. Ash Ketchum,_

_We sincerely hope that this letter reaches to you as fast as possible. The matter is about your victory in the Vertress conference. As you might have expected, you do indeed have the chance to challenge the Elite Four and potentially the champion, Alder._

_But since the decennial Pokémon Champion's league is also coming up in one year, we have after much deliberation decided to postpone your challenge for after the Champion's League. That is of course if you still wish to take part in it at that time. Rest assured, your fellow league victors have also been sent the same letter which you are receiving now. We are very sorry, but this is **not **negotiable._

_Your Elite Four Challenge will remain open for 5 years from the date you won the Vertress Conference, we hope that is an adequate compensation for the gross injustice we are doing in not allowing you to take the challenge which is rightfully yours._

_But as the Pokémon Champions League is an event of utmost prestige and honour, it simply takes precedence over any other. Champion Alder wished to add his own words regarding this decision, we have attached the letter with our own, please read it. _

_We also wish for you to take a look at the brochure we have sent with this letter. Such a brochure is also being sent to every Pokémon trainer registered in our official Database till date. The reason for this will become clearer if you take the time to carefully read the brochure._

_Additionally, if you manage to make it to the stages where you can challenge the Elite Four and Champions, any victory over a Unovan Elite Four will be taken into consideration. _

_We of the Pokémon League, thank you for your co-operation._

_John Dale, Managing Director,  
Pokémon League"_

I was in shock over the sudden turn of events. Here I was, totally ready to spend my two month at Pallet Town, training for my Elite Four Challenge, and now they are saying its Postponed? And not only me, every other league victor of this year?

What the frig?

I decided that reading Alder's letter was more important than reading the brochure, it was not every day that one gets a letter from the Champion himself!

"_Dear Ashton,_

I twitched. However, the scrawny style of writing immediately solidified it that it was indeed the Champion who had written to him.

That, and the 'Ashton'...

"_First and foremost, I would like to congratulate you Ashton on winning the Unova League. I must say, I hadn't pegged you to be a league winner in the beginning, but boy am I glad I was proven wrong!_

_Lance, Cynthia and Wallace, all have expressed similar opinions about you, kid. While me and Wallace were not able to participate in life threatening adventures with you (unlike Cynthia and Lance!) We both recognise the talent that you display in battling, as well as the bonds you share your Pokémon. I would have loved to face the Legendary Trio of Unova though..._

_However, my letter is also regarding another very important matter. The Pokémon Champions League is a very important and historic competition son, and to put miss it for something like an Elite Four Challenge is simply unacceptable. Especially since you can take it immediately after wards! The Pokémon Champions League is something that will allow you to explore your skills to an extreme you would never have dreamed before! Why, I still remember my first Champions League. I didn't get too far, but let me tell you this- that was the competition that led me on my way to what I am today._

_I hope that my words help to motivate you Ashton, because I will accept nothing less than a stellar performance from you in the Champions League! _

**_P.S- Between you and me, I totally think that you could have beaten the Unova Elite Four ;)_**

_Unova Champion, _

_Alder."_

I smiled as I read Alder's letter. A small part of me was shocked that Alder could have written such a nicely worded and thoughtful letter, but I concluded that such things must have been a part of his Champion duty. The part about Cynthia and Lance advocating about me really pumped me up, and even Wallace, although I had a really brief meeting with him...

Suddenly, I looked at the brochure. Alder too regarded the Pokémon Champions League as something of extreme importance, and the League Letter said that all the information would be present in the Brochure...

I furiously reached for the brochure to make any sense of the situation I was in. Nothing could have really prepared me for what I was about to read next.

"_Greetings Pokémon Trainers, Co-ordinators, and Gym Leaders!_

_As you all may or may not know, the prestigious Pokémon Champion's League is an event taking place every 10 years to see just who is the best trainer in the whole wide world. Till now, 54 Pokémon Champion's League's have taken place, all but the last two of them have been closed affairs and with much restriction._

_The minimum requirement for the Champion's League before was for a trainer to have reached top four in a regional league, as well as top 8 in two more. Also the trainer was required to have at least 32 badges, showing participation in 4 regional leagues._

_But no more! Under the new management taking charge over the Pokémon League, it has been decreed that any Pokémon Trainer with experience of 1 second to 1 Century can take part in the Pokémon Champion's League! In the tournament, no one is a Gym Leader nor a Newbie. All are Pokémon Trainers, and thus will compete at an equal level. This, our friends, will make it a 'True' Tournament. Everyone will have a fair chance of winning!_

_The only ones excused are the Elite Four and the Champions. This has been done to even out the playing field in the lower levels of the battles. Since the Champions League takes part over a number of months, we believe that even lower level trainers could make them strong enough after getting a taste of the competition. So to include the Elite Four and the Champions in the earlier stages would be grossly unfair to a number of young battlers and co-ordinators._

_The details are given at the end._

_Many of you might be confused over how such a large event could take place and not take more than year._

_The answer is that the Pokémon Champion's League will take place in two levels._

_1\. The first level is the one where Gym Leaders, Trainers and Co-ordinators will battle it out in various modes of battles ranging from 2 vs2 to full 6vs6. The preliminary stage will be the one where knockout battles will take place over a course of five days, after which trainers will be randomly divided into groups of five. From each group two people will qualify for the following rounds, in which the Gym leaders will be entering. The knockout battles with the Gym leaders will finally determine the Trainers, Co-ordinators and Gym leaders reaching the second level._

This level will be known as the **Pokémon World Tournament.**

_2\. The second level will be the one where the select Trainers will be drawn against the Elite four and Champions. This also means that there might be potential battles between the Elite Four and Champions themselves even in the first round of second level! The final victor of the second level will be the one to have his/her name forever written in the echelons of history and truly considered the Pokémon Master of the world._

This level will be known as the **Elite Battlers Conference.**

_We sincerely hope that all of the Pokémon Trainers reading this come to take part in the once in a lifetime event._

_Thank you._

My hands shook as I tried to fully grasp what I was reading. Fuck the Elite Four; here I have a chance to take on the Champions League, something happening once a decade. Here I really had the chance of emblazoning my name in the history books. Here I have the chance to actually become a _Pokémon Master..._

_*Thump*_

Ash's 16 year old mind couldn't really take all this information, and he, just like Gary and Professor Oak, fainted. But unfortunately, as he fell from his seat, he didn't touch the ground rather he fell on something much... softer.

**XXX**

Dawn looked around the lab for any sign of Ash, Gary or Professor Oak. The trio were missing for quite a while now and Ms. Ketchum had sent her to look for them

_'Just where are you Ashy.'_ She thought, but it was just a split second later that it dawned (5) on her mind what she had called Ash. '_Oh my god! Even I am thinking like Mom now, ugh dammit. And Ashy is way too corny of a name anyw-AAH WHAT AM I THINKING!'_ Dawn shook her head to get rid of the thoughts as she knocked on the door to Professor Oak's study.

"Ash? Are you in there?" She asked softly, but received no response.

She was about to move to other rooms, but suddenly she noticed that Ash's sneakers along with two other pairs of shoes were opened outside the room. She opened the door and took a peek inside, only to rush in when she saw Professor Oak fallen on the floor.

"Oh no! Professor, are you all right?" She asked as she shook the unconscious Professor. Her worry increasing she moved forward to look for Ash and Gary only to freeze in her steps when her eyes fell on the scene.

"Okay I will close my eyes, count to ten and all this will turn out to be an illusion." She confidently said to herself as she did the same.

When her eyes opened again, the horrible scene in front of her hadn't changed for one bit. Gary was lying on the floor, with Ash lying over him. But the thing which nearly caused Dawn's mind to shut down was that Ash's mouth was on Ga-

"T-This...T-This can't be real. No. NO! NOooooooooooooooo!" Dawn gave a last girly shriek as she fell face down, unable to see the atrociousness of _her_ crush doing something like this.

**XXX**

**_TBC_**

**A/N: **Here it is guys! The second chapter. I hope that you all enjoyed it. If not, please give me a review telling me what exactly it was that I did wrong. Because in all seriousness friends, I can't really know what I am doing wrong until someone points it out to me.

And how did you like it, PearlShipping, AdvanceShipping, PokeShipping and, much to my own disgust PalletShipping, all in one chapter! However I wish to make it very clear _right now_ that there will be no YAOI scenes in my story. It will always be used for at the most, Comic relief.

**Many of you might be wondering- 'Why doesn't Ash know about the Champions League if it such a prestigious event?' Now, before you start chasing me with pitchforks and AK-47s, let me explain it to you, in very simple words. Ash is young. The last Champions League took place when he was 5-6 years old. Also, I have told that the Champions League was a very closed affair before this year, and that widespread TV technology wasn't developed as well. So it is completely possible that Ash doesn't know about it...**

(1)(2)(3)- Our long time friend Ash Ketchum is finally noticing the maturing bodies of his long time female friends.

(4)- Yeah, the Charmeleon from the Celebi Movie.

(5)- No pun intended!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Guys, I'll be addressing a issue which was brought to my notice. A guy PM'ed me about OC's. Now let me make my stance very clear on them, as long as an OC is done nicely, its fine with me. But in the Pokémon Universe, where so, SO many characters are lying around useless and just...begging to be re-introduced; it's just a waste of imagination to use OC's.** But that's not to say that I won't ever use them,** if any of you have some good ideas for any OC you want me to introduce, just review or message me, I will consider adding them to the plot in a sensible way.

Also whenever I start using First Person, it means **ASH POV.** Using first person while writing about the main character allows me to delve deeper into his psyche. It also makes for much more interesting thoughts and conversations. But if for some reason most of you don't like it, I will change back.

At any other point, I will be using Third Person speech only. Especially in Battles.

**XXX**

Since it was almost night time by now, the group were discussing sleeping arrangements. Since Professor Oak's Lab didn't have any guest rooms, the large group were forced to sleep in a very cramped house of Mrs. Ketchum. After much deliberation, and whining from Ash, the arrangements were finally agreed upon by everyone.

Brock and Ash were settled in the lone guest room of the house. Ash's mother slept in her own room while Pikachu, Piplup and Axew stayed outside in the ranch, wanting to catch up on their friends. Gary was still in the lab, where he and Professor Oak were hurriedly examining all of the data Ash had given them, it was unlikely that they would even get a wink of sleep this night.

Finally, the girls were all grouped together in Ash's room, much to their pleasure.

_Ash's room_

May, Misty, Dawn and Iris looked appreciatively around Ash's room. It was surprisingly clean for a boy's room, which could probably be because Ash didn't really stay in his room for much long between his various journeys. The girls were dressed up in their respective night wears. Dawn's hair was in a Pony tail, with May, Misty and Iris in their usual hairstyles.

"Wow, Ash's room is neater than I had thought." Iris said, as the statement drew a snort from Misty. She had decided to sleep in the room for once, since she didn't want her new friends to immediately think she was a weirdo by sleeping in a tree. Once they got to know each other well, she could get back in her comfort zone. Also she had rather..._interesting_ conversations to make.

"Don't get too excited Iris, its Mrs. Ketchum who keeps the room clean. If it were up to Ash, the room would have been metres deep in dust." Even though the statement was a bit exaggerated, it wasn't completely wrong since Ash rarely paid attention to things like Hygiene. Delia, being the doting mother that she is, had always taken care of such things for Ash. It was safe to say that Ash had been much spoiled in such matters and was very luck Brock had decided to go with him.

May looked around the room. The only decorations present were posters of Pokémon battles and video games. She also noted with a warm smile that Ash kept framed pictures from every year of his journey. There was a picture of her, Max, Brock and him of the time they had journeyed through Kanto for Ash's Battle Frontier. "Not much decoration, that's for sure." May's mother and she herself spent much time on such stuff, so it was natural she would think like this. The walls were painted in a pale yellow colour and only the posters filled some of the void.

But the thing which gained every girls' attention was the large Trophy cabinet; proudly displaying Ash's multitude of achievements over the years. It was things like these that really showed the girls that Ash was indeed a very accomplished and veteran trainer; at least relatively.

The Trophy cabinet didn't just show the smaller cups of the major leagues; The Kanto Battle Frontier symbols, the Orange League trophy, the 40 Gym Badges and the various smaller cups and certificates from minor competitions.

"From the Pokémon posters and Voltorb alarm clock, it's pretty clear what Ash's first love was." Misty said with a giggle. '_Probably only love'_ She depressingly thought in her mind, but didn't say it out loud. She did notice that Ash's room had a rather large window, perfect for viewing the beautiful scenery of Professor Oak's Pokémon fields.

A sudden squeal from Dawn gained everyone's attention. "Guys! Come and look at these!" She yelled as she motioned to the confused girls.

All of their eyes widened when they reached the place Dawn was pointing to. It was a rather old box, which had no lock. However, the thing which surprised them was the content of the Box.

Inside it were numerous Pokémon plushies and Action Figures.

"How cute!" May gushed over the various soft toys Ash played with in his childhood.

"Hmph, such a kid." Iris said in her usual manner, although there was a small smile on her face.

As the girls checked out the various soft toys, a particular picture gained Misty's attention, who immediately pointed it out to the girls. "Look at this picture guys."

The picture in itself was very old. Ash looked about 6 years old in the picture, with is face looking almost the same as now, only a lot chubbier. Ash was standing in his usual victory pose, with his army of soft toy Pokémon behind him in various strategic positions. It was scene which could immediately make a girl squeal over its cuteness, as well as a guy gag, as well as say 'Pussy'.

"Ash looks so cute in this picture!" Dawn exclaimed without thinking what she was saying.

"Yeah! Just look at the little Z's on his cheek!" May smiled warmly at the picture.

"He hasn't really changed a lot from back then." Misty said, looking fondly at the chibi-Ash

A sudden evil sounding chuckle made the three girls turn their heads towards Iris. "Ku-Ku, you would really think that wouldn't you." She said with a knowing glint in her eyes.

May's face immediately reddened, remembering the conversation with Iris from before. "W-What are you talking about Iris?" She asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Tch Tch, don't play coy with me May, you know what I'm saying." She waved her finger dismissively.

"Huh? What's this about May?" Dawn asked in confusion. Had something happened between iris and May?

"Yeah May, what is Iris talking about?" Misty was confused too.

"NO! ITS NOTHING!" May waved her hands wildly in the air.

Misty turned to Iris "Okay, now I'm really interested. What's the matter?"

May crossed in her arms the 'NO' position as she looked at Iris, who was in deep thought whether to tell the other two or not.

"Oh come on May, they will know one way or the other, best you tell them now." Iris said. Truth was that she was afraid she won't be able to keep it a secret for much longer, hence it would be better if May allowed her herself.

May thought for a while before she gulped and nodded.

"May likes Ash."

"_**WHAT!?" **_Two very large voices came from the two girls as they looked at May with stunned eyes.

May put her face into her palms. She was so embarrassed! Oh why did she allow Iris to say so.

"Is it true May?" Dawn asked, her voice just above a whisper.

May just nodded her head, not even removing her face from her palms. The light blush she had was now spread through her neck.

"But I thought you liked that Green haired guy?" Misty asked in confusion.

"WHAT! Don't be ridiculous Misty, I don't even like him much as a friend!" May shouted incredulously, although the statement about her and Drew not being good friends was false.

Dawn couldn't believe it. Even May liked Ash? It was not as if she could blame her, Ash had a really magnetic, if dense, personality. That was why she had fallen for him after all.

"Why are you so worried Dawn? Could it be..." Iris drawled out as she looked at Dawn suspiciously, who tried to reel in her emotions.

"C-Could be what?" She stuttered.

"Do you like Ash too?" Iris asked, as blunt as she was with May.

Dawn was surprised, but not as much as May, since she had already been asked the question from Laura while they travelled with her and another boy during Sinnoh. And if she could deny it then, she could surely do it now-

"Don't deny it Dawn, Iris will get it out of you, it's no use." May said in a defeated tone as she sat quietly with her face having a light blush, her brown hair in the usual upside down V.

Dawn sighed. What the heck, if anyone had to know, why not her best friends? "Yeah, I-I might have a little c-crush on him." She said, still denying to herself that it was anything more than that. Dawn cursed Iris in her mind. Till now she had been able to deny it to herself that she liked Ash, but now, she won't be able to look at Ash in the same light ever again!

"Oh and what about you Misty?" Iris said as all the three girl's attention turned to the red head sitting quietly, who was sweating nervously by now.

"W-What a-about me?"

"Well, you know?" This time it was May who asked.

"D-Do you?" Dawn continued the question, almost fearing the answer.

Misty looked at the faces of the other girls. She had truly never imagined that such a situation could ever arise. All three of them were shy enough to not talk about such things, but it the arrival of Iris changed it all. Damn that nitpicking girl!

"Yeah." She finally said with a grumble.

**XXX**

Unknown to the four girls, a certain dark skinned, squinty eyed, former Gym Leader turned Pokémon Doctor was crying waterfall tears as he stood eavesdropping near the door to Ash's room.

Since the only other toilet in the Ash's house was near his room on the first floor and not connected to the guest room, Brock had to walk up the stairs to answer the call of nature.

Imagine his surprise when he hears the various girls he had travelled and considered as his siblings discussing about their feelings about Ash of all people! '_I've never been prouder of you Ash!'_Brock exclaimed in his mind as Ash immediately gained 100 man points in his book.

**XXX**

_Ash POV_

I woke up early the next morning. Since Professor Oak and Gary were busy yesterday, I had decided to wait till the next day to ask Professor Oak about the Pokémon Champions League. I had discussed about that with my other friends, but only Brock had any prior knowledge about it. Misty, May, Dawn and Iris had decided to call their homes today and ask whether a brochure similar to the one I had got was received by them.

As I reached the door of the large Windmill equipped Laboratory, a large squawk gained my attention. I looked with a smile as my fully evolved Sinnoh flying type, Staraptor, descended down to stand in front of me.

"Hey Staraptor, up early?" I asked, to which the bird gave a happy cry of its name. As I waited at the door, I petted Staraptor's head. Even though Staraptor wasn't my biggest flying type, it was in moments like this that I could truly see the size and build of my Pokémon. But even though I KNEW Staraptor had been quite large, he still seemed to be a bit taller than before.

"Say Staraptor, have you been training while I was away?" I asked to the large raptor.

"Star!" Staraptor happily nodded his head. He had indeed been training pretty hard, along with Noctowl and Swellow, while Ash was away. He had even learned a new move!

It was just then that the door of the lab was opened by a person/zombie who I barely recognised as Gary.

"Wazza youz doin' here?" Gary asked in a sleepy voice. His eyes had dark circles beneath them and his hair was wildly spiked out. Even though it was pretty early, Ash didn't understand why Gary was so sleepy right now.

"Um, can I come in?" I asked tentatively. Now that Gary actually talked, thought of him turning into a Zombie and eating him eating my brain stopped. Staraptor had already escaped from the place, creeped out by Gary's appearance.

Gary's sleep deprived mind took one complete minute to process Ash's question, while Ash awkwardly stared at Gary's face. "Sure." He finally answered.

As I got inside the lab, my eyes widened at the stacks and stacks of research notes and books strewn about. For as long as I had known, Professor Oak had been a cleanliness freak. Had Swellow got inside and used Hurricane? Or was it a wild Pidgey using Gust?

"What the heck happened her Gary?" I asked to my friend who I looked had stopped walking. Gary didn't answer, so I tapped his shoulder "I asked, what happened here Gary?" I asked a bit louder as I shaked him.

When he still didn't respond, I got irritated. "I'm talking to you Ga-WOAH!" I exclaimed as I caught Gary, who was falling forwards. When I heard snoring, I sweatdropped to see that Gary had somehow fallen asleep while walking. For some reason, he reminded me of someone I had met a long time before, but couldn't remember.

I let Gary fall to the floor, where he woke up with a start after his head hit the ground with a _Thunk_. "WH-WHAT! ARECUS, GIRATINA, PARTICLETHEORY, SPACETIMEBRIDGE, MOLTRESSE'S FIRE, _**FUCK ME!" **_He started screeching non-sense that is until his eyes laid on me.

"Oh, it's you Ash. What can I do for you?" He asked in a rather nonchalant manner, as if he just wasn't sprouting non sense.

I was rather scared by Gary's multiple personalities, so I decided to wait for a few more seconds, lest Gary go into another epileptic attack. "I was here to talk to Professor Oak about the Pokémon Champion's League."

Gary yawned once again as he pointed he to the door separating the lab and the field. "Me and Gramps were up for quite a while yesterday Ash. Go and meet up with your Pokémon, I doubt Grandpa would wake up any earlier than a couple hours at least. And even I need to get more sleep. The multiple dimension theory really shook up yesterday..."

I tuned the last part out as I walked towards the door. It was for the best, I thought, this way I will get the chance to get some early morning training with my Pokémon.

As I reached the grounds, I was happy to see most of my Pokémon up and about. Dawn, May, Misty, Iris and Cilan's Pokémon were still lazing around, much to my trainer's pride. But I did notice May's Blaziken in a conversation with my Sceptile. Only Axew and Scraggy looked to be asleep, not surprising since they were the youngest Pokémon among the entire group. Garchomp, Dragonite and Charizard were flying on low altitudes, probably enjoying the fresh morning winds. I was just happy that they had not picked up any fights among themselves. But unlike their counter parts, my pure Flying Type Pokémon were comfortably perched up in various tress, with Gliscor on Torterra's back. Misty's large Gyrados was absent, probably in the Gym.

I whistled twice to get the attention of the Pokémon who were awake. All of my Pokémon rushed towards me, along with May's Blaziken, Iris's Dragonite and Dawn's Piplup.

"Hey guys!" I greeted my Pokémon as Pikachu made his way up on my shoulder. "Blaziken." I nodded to the fully evolved Hoenn Starter, who I knew since she was a little Torchic. "Piplup."

Blaziken happily smiled at Ash. It had been a long time since she had met Ash, so she was happy to see him. Piplup had already met him yesterday, so he was a bit subdued, but waved back nonetheless. Garchomp's presence wasn't helping things. Even though Piplup and Gible were _somewhat _friends, as a Garchomp, Piplup didn't know what to expect from his once ditzy friend.

"BAYLEEEF!" Suddenly my breath was knocked out as I was affectionately tack-err hugged by Bayleef

"Hey Bayleef" I somehow wheezed out.

Bayleef paid no attention and kept nuzzling her trainer. Her eyes were in a upside down U. Bayleef's attraction to her trainer was perhaps the most among all of his Pokémon. Even among the most affectionate ones like Muk, Gliscor and Oshawott.

But when Ash's face started turning blue, Bulbasaur thankfully used his vines to pull of Bayleef.

I raised a weak thumbs-up towards Bulbasaur as I petted Bayleef from a much better position. "Thanks Buddy." I then looked towards my vast and varied group of Pokémon, all of them looking at me expectantly.

"So, have you all been training while I was away?" I asked to the group. While most proudly nodded their heads, I did notice a few looking sheepish. Most prominently Totodile. I frowned to myself as I last remembered the time I used the little guy. As well as Kingler and Snorlax. It had been ages since I last used Kingler in battle. '_I just hope Kingler doesn't hate me. He had wiped out an entire team back in Kanto! I should have used him more.' _

The reactions of my Unova Pokémon had really opened my eyes to how I had neglected some of my other Pokémon in battles. I couldn't help but think whether it would have been different had I used my older Pokémon in Hoenn. I might have atleast reached the semi-finals. Only Sceptile had the real power required for high level battling. None of his Pokémon were trained at levels necessary to win the Ever Grande Conference.

'_Now isn't the time to think such things. If the Pokémon Champion's league is really what I've made it out to be, then I can't rely on luck any more. Each and every one of my Pokémon has to be well prepared for the ridiculous number of battles we would have in both stages. I sure as hell don't want to get knocked out in the first stage.'_

I looked at my Pokémon, and noted with much disappointment in _myself_ to see most of them out of shape and overweight, just like Pikachu had been in the beginning. Being the most energetic among them Totodile should have been the first one to evolve between him, Bayleef and Quilava, but he hadn't till now. And as far as I knew, he didn't have any revulsion towards evolving like Bulbasaur and Pikachu, so why hadn't he then? Was it my fault?

"Alright Guys, I have a very important announcement for all of you. Blaziken, Piplup, Dragonite could you give us a moment." I said seriously as I stood with my arms crossed behind my back. All of the Pokémon turned their attention towards me. Blaziken and Piplup nodded in understanding. Although Ash was their friend, they weren't members of his team, so they didn't need to get involved in team talks. Dragonite merely flew a ways back. Pikachu jumped off my shoulder and stood with the others, in times of team talks like this, no one was above anyone else, and thus even Pikachu had to get off his perch on top of me.

"In a year's time, we are going to participate in the Champion's League. It is a league where we will be facing each and every one of our rivals and friends from the day we started our journey." All of the Pokémon's eyes widened at that. Unseen to all, Garchomp and Sceptile's eyes widened in _excitement_, they hadn't forgotten the utter humiliation they had to face from the legendary user Tobias. Payback would be nice. The Sinnoh Pokémon clenched their fists as they thought of facing Paul again.

"That's not all guys, if we manage to cross Stage one." I took a deep breath as I myself got the grasp of the magnitude of the statement I was about to make "We will have to face the Elite Four and Champions of every region." Almost all of Pokémon paled at this, although Pikachu, Charizard and Sceptile were much more composed, seeing as they had already faced and defeated legendary Pokémon.

Garchomp's eyes had widened the most. Even while he had lived in the wild, Cynthia's Garchomp had been a legendary name among all Gible, Gabites and Garchomps. The thought of facing her incited various feelings in Garchomp, Fear, Nervousness, ...excitement?

I looked at the scared faces of my Pokémon. Now that just wouldn't do, would it?

"Don't you all want to win?" I asked with a frown. All of the Pokémon gave me a startled look at that.

"Don't look at me like that, the way you all are getting scared at the mention of facing Champions, how will we be able to win when we finally face them?" I asked with resolve.

"I have to also confess something to all of you." I started. This was the thing I had wanted to talk to with them from the time I saw the reactions of my Unova Pokémon.

"I have not been a good trainer and friend to any of you." I admitted. But almost immediately all of my Pokémon cried out in denial.

The Pokémon were in shock. What the fuck was Ash talking about? He was the best friend and trainer they could have ever wanted! Heck Donphan and Scraggy had been raised by him!

"I appreciate it that you all support me guys, but in truth I have never fulfilled my role as your Pokémon trainer." Seeing them getting ready to protest, I raised my hands to keep them quiet. "As far as I can remember, most of you have learnt your new moves either trough self-practice or evolution. That is not the mark of a good trainer in any way. I have also been very preferred to Pikachu in all my journeys, leaving you all in the ranch."

All of his Pokémon diverted their views from his. It was true that each and every one of them had felt sadness when their trainer left without them on his new journey, it made them feel weak and unneeded some times. Pikachu could also admit to himself that leaving his friends each year was not something he was overly fond of. Even though he and Ash were the best of friends, there was only so much they could talk about without understanding each other's languages.

I sat down on the soft grass. Looking at the faces of his Pokémon when he mentioned leaving was really downing. "Even though I admit we are not strong enough to face them at this time, I know that we CAN get stronger with time and that we WILL defeat everyone who faces us." I said with resolve. I won't let my Pokémon become a joke in front of someone like Tobias _ever _again.

"And that's why I've decided that all of us will train harder than ever before and get strong enough to even kick the Champion's asses!" I declared as all of my Pokémon roared in agreement. Torkoal launched a big smoke mushroom cloud, Quilava's flames shot up. Sure I exaggerated a lot, but whatever pump's them up!

"To get started I want all of you to work on your stamina." At their confused looks, I continued. "It won't matter if you all know tons of powerful attacks if you crash out after just one of them. And so if you increase your stamina, you can perform at higher levels for much more amount of time. Also for Charizard and Infernape, your ability Blaze will be able to work for a longer amount of time before burning off. So let's get down to work guys!" I pumped my fist in the Air as all of my Pokémon did the same.

Increasing the stamina of a Pokémon was not something many trainers did, choosing to rather teach their Pokémon new attacks. Increasing the stamina of a Pokémon helped it to last longer in battles with more experienced Pokémon. It also helped during battles where it all ultimately comes down to endurance.

But the main advantage of improving the stamina and endurance of the Pokémon ultimately in terms of moves. I am almost 100% sure that Torterra and Sceptile could learn _Frenzy plant_ much faster if they work on their stamina. _Frenzy plant, Hydro Canon _and_ Blast Burn_ were moves that every fully evolved Pokémon of the respective types could do, but the question remained that for how long would the user continue after such a power depleting move?

The main points in my mind were Legendaries. Even though I might be able to make my Pokémon strong enough to go toe to toe with them, any Legendary's natural perseverance and endurance will ultimately result in its victory. I knew that to _not_ expect Tobias to participate in the Champion's League was a risk not worth taking, so my Pokémon have to be at a level at which they could defeat his Pokémon.

For Staraptor, Swellow, Noctowl, Gliscor and Unfezant, I decided to make them walk on the ground, or hop, so that they can actually get tired. They were flying types and so it was no use making them fly for any amount time; well not until it was for a day or two. And in the case of Gliscor, he just glided in the air, so it was especially important for him. I made a mental note to contact or visit either Falkner, Winona or Skyla to get tips on training my flying types.

"And Donphan, no rolling!" I warned the sheepish looking Grey colored Pokémon as he started running. Donphan moved from one place to another mostly while roiling, even in the wild. So it was very important that Donphan at least learns to run and move at battle ready speeds.

The rest of them were made to run on the ground till they got tired enough to stop. Charizard and Snorlax were annoyed by this, but bribing Snorlax with food worked out. Charizard was still unwilling to run on the ground, seemingly seeing it beneath him. But then suddenly Dragonite joined the fray. I looked with a confused eye towards him, but Dragonite merely winked at me. I grinned discreetly as I pointed towards Dragonite. "Looks like Dragonite is training pretty hard, isn't that right Charizard?" I asked to my strongest Fire Type, who twitched in response.

Seeing Charizard not bulging, I decided to push it further "Well what can you expect, Dragonite _is_ after all a Pseudo Legendary." I noted with genuine praise towards Dragonite, who smiled at the compliment. That did it. Charizard gave a loud roar at that, the shockwave nearly throwing me off my feet, and took off after Dragonite. Virtual sparks flew between the eyes of the two powerful Pokémon as they started running neck and neck with each other. Although Charizard's large wings did pose a challenge for him, Charizard pulled through. Dragonite's tiny wings allowed for better locomotion for him.

Garchomp however didn't complain, unlike his fellow large Pokémon, as started running with vigour, Krookodile following soon after with his Sunglasses shining in the morning sun. Both of them were workhorses and liked to prove their competence to Ash, even though he didn't demand it from them.

Although they and Torterra had to be moved to a separate area, so that the others were not hampered by the mini earthquakes created by them. I also told Snorlax to teach Totodile, Dewott and Palpitoad Ice Beam when we finished the exercise; Snorlax had somehow learned that in the time I was not here. That was enough to make me go numb for a minute. For as long as I had known, Snorlax had been extremely lazy to train, so it was very lucky for me that he had put the effort.

Sceptile was barely making any effort to keep up with the others, him being a speed demon helped in the long run. My _main_ _battle_ Tauros was also making little effort in keeping up, seeing as its favourite pass-time had been to run along with its herd. So Tauros was my go to Pokémon whenever I was looking for stamina. The other 29 of my Tauros were keeping me company. Even though I didn't battle with them, didn't mean that I didn't take out the time to talk with them. I was greatly surprised to find out that every Tauros in the herd had a different personality; some were playful, while others had leadership qualities which they took up when my main Tauros left. Almost none wanted to battle, so I didn't force them to and neither did I have the need.

I chuckled at seeing Infernape and Pignite keeping neck to neck with each other, not intending to give their respective newfound rivals any lead.

Although I found it a bit strange that Sceptile and Blaziken were running together, and was Sceptile getting a red in the face? Did he have a fever or something?

"Yo Sceptile!" I called out to my fully evolved Hoenn Pokémon, who looked back at me, Blaziken stopping along with him. I ran near them "Are you ill Sceptile, you face is kinda red?" I asked in concern.

Sceptile looked at his trainer as if he was the biggest idiot since Doink the Clown. Blaziken shyly turned her head away at being caught by Sceptile's trainer.

"So you're alright then?" I asked a bit carefully since Sceptile was twitching now. When the leaf on his hand which he used for _Leaf blade_ started glowing, I took that as a cue for leaving. Seriously, what's up with him?

I noticed that Muk was having a lot of trouble keeping up with the others, seeing as he had no legs and in all reality he was a living blob. Muk obviously looked sad at his lack of speed and slowed down even more, his usual happy eyes dimming due to sadness.

"Don't give up Muk!" I shouted in encouragement to Muk, who looked towards me. "It's not a race, so need to worry if you get behind, all right?" Muk perked up at that and started slugging on the ground with much more vigour, occasionally jumping a small distance. I allowed him to do that, seeing as that too allowed to help increase him stamina, not to mention the speed and flexibility of his _Body Slam_ attack.

Quilava, Pikachu, Dewott, Bulbasaur and Totodile were running smoothly without much trouble, with Quilava being the most comfortable, its streamlined body providing it least resistance from air.

But in all this, I was left with the one Pokémon I just couldn't understand what to do with.

Glalie was sadly looking down on the ground as he hovered before me. "What to do with you Glalie?" I asked my second Ice-Type as I tried to come up with any way to make Glalie train his stamina. Being an Ice Type, I knew that Glalie had major Potential. Ice-Type Pokémon had the highest attacks of all, not to mention they were super effective against Dragon types.

"Gla..." Glalie muttered in disappointment. He had got the time to train with his Trainer after so much time and then this happens! Glalie was really cursing his luck at this time. As much as other Pokémon envied Glalie for having the ability to hover off the ground, Glalie envied others for having the various features like hands and feet. For Pokémon like Arbok, Ekans, Koffing, Weezing and Glalie, who did not have hands, a lot of things were made difficult in life. Even though Palpitoad was in the same boat, at least he could rest in the knowledge that he will get arms once he evolves.

As I thought for a few more moments, looking at Glalie's hovering form gave me a brilliant idea. "That's it Glalie! You may not be able to walk or hop comfortably, but you could become the best in hovering!" I exclaimed.

Glalie tilted its head...body (?) in confusion. "-Lie?"

"Hover up and down as rapidly as you can Glalie, this will help you to increase your most hovering height and also increase your speed in dodging. Not to mention it will help you in _Gyro Ball_!" For Pokémon like Glalie, who constantly hovered above ground and did not have feet or hands, to learn dodging was a very important art.

Glalie's eyes widened in excitement and understanding as he took off to a secluded area to practice.

It was then that a sudden idea came to my mind. I called upon one of oldest and first Jhoto Pokémon. And probably one of the strongest. "HERACROSS!" I yelled over the field as Heracross cut off from his place in the running field and hovered to me.

"Heracross, I want you to take the help of Noctowl and learn to fly better." Heracross gave a whine at this but I immediately cut him off. "You are already fast on the ground Heracross, if you learn to fly perfectly just imagine the amount of flexibility you will get in terms of attacks _and _defence! You could use one of your stronger attacks from the sky or...or you could immediately fly up to dodge!" I tried to lamely make it sound cool for him. But the ability to fly was a major advantage that Heracross had. There was no guarantee that battlefields would remain the same in every battle, so having the ability to fight while flying was a very edge for Heracross.

Heracross thought over it for a while. Even though he had wings, Heracross didn't particularly use them for much transport, instead choosing to move from one place to other by foot. Still looking reluctant, Heracross gave a nod and moved towards Noctowl who was hopping on the ground behind Swellow and before Unfezant.

Eventually Scraggy joined up with the gang too, although his running was interrupted once while to pick his loose skin up.

As I watched my Pokémon sweat and give their very best in heavy exercise after a long time, I felt that I should also share my Pokémon's pain. Many gave me startled looks as I started running with them. But I knew that to effectively train my Pokémon, I have to look strong in their image too. I didn't want another Charizard experience in the Champions League.

**XXX**

_1 hour later_

The larger Pokémon, like Snorlax, Torterra, Krookodile, Garchomp and Charizard, and the flying types were completely out of breath and lying on the ground panting. My condition was no better as I was spread on the ground, seeing stars. Others like Muk, Kingler, Corphish, Torkoal and Boldore, who all didn't have bodies made for running long distances, were equally tired.

Heracross was massaging his sore wings with his short hands, never having experienced such a torture before.

The Pokémon smaller in size like Pikachu, Totodile and Quilava were breathing heavily, but were otherwise alright. Tauros and Sceptile looked perfectly fine, showing that they were indeed training while at the ranch. Buizel and Dewott had immediately jumped into the Pond to replenish the lost water.

I sweatdropped to see Glalie and Muk knocked out from over exertion. I felt really bad to see my Pokémon in this state, it was as if I was going against my own words which I had spoken to A.J. But seeing the looks of determination on my Pokémon's faces stopped me from ending the training.

After 15 minutes of rest, me and my Pokémon got up slowly. "This is what we have to make a regular thing guys." I said to my Pokémon who looked at me with what could only be described as a _'WTF'_ look. "I know that its tiring guys-" Snorlax scoffed at this "But if we want to win at the Pokémon Champions League, we must not give up at such little things!" Most of the group looked a bit more determined at this.

It was certainly a great start. However, to expect a large progress in just an hour of training was stupid. I knew that to get to the level we needed to be, such a routine in the morning should eventually become a mere warm up for us.

The remaining 45 minutes were spent in the same manner. Since some of the Pokémon were absolutely dried up by the sudden training, I left the still active ones to spar against each other. Snorlax however took the easy way out and kept his namesake by snoring under a tree.

Infernape against Pignite was a pretty surprising battle. Pignite had tried to use _Flame Charge_ at one point, intending to take Infernape by surprise. But Infernape just scoffed and activated his superior _Flare Blitz_, dealing massive damage to the other fire type. The damage could have been even more had there been some Pokémon of a type weaker to Fire.

But Pignite was never one to give up easily.

In a moment of arrogance, Infernape left a hole in his defence. Pignite took advantage of it and immediately attacked with a Brick Break. It was only through his harsh training under Paul that Infernape had been able to lessen the impact by using Mach punch.

I called off the match immediately afterwards; there was no need for a serious battle just now.

Next up was the second and last battle. For this I decided to choose the battlers myself, Muk and Heracross. The reason for this was simple; Muk hadn't fought in a serious battle in 2-3 years and needed practice. Since Heracross's typing were less damaging to a poison type, he was the perfect opponent for rusty Muk. Quilava played the referee and increased his flames to signal the start of the match.

Heracross immediately attacked Muk with a flurry of Punches and kicks, probably a _Fury attack._ Muk did not give any response to these attacks, merely got hit by them. Finally Heracross used a _Focus Punch_ which knocked Muk off the ground and sent him back a few metres. I was about to run to check up on the injured Muk when a strange noise caught my attention.

"Gurk Gurk Gurk."

'_What the hell was that!?'_

Much to my amazement, Muk reformed out of the puddle it had formed into and attacked Heracross with a _Body Slam, _which was narrowly avoided. I noted with appreciation that the Body Slam was quite strong, the crater formed on the ground proved it. It seemed that Heracross noticed it too, taking the battle more seriously than before.

Muk didn't stop, it relentlessly attacked Heracross with multiple _Sludge Bombs, _which I recognised as a _Sludge Wave _attack. Heracross used its superior speed to expertly dodge all the _Sludge Bombs_. Just as Heracross smirked in satisfaction, my eyes widened.

Muk had used the _Sludge Wave_ in a multiple _Sludge Bomb_ Form and had surrounded Heracross in a closed off area! Heracross didn't have anywhere to escape, not when its wings were sore from practise. '_I don't know whether you planned it out Muk, but using Heracross's temporary disadvantage of not being able to fly was brilliant!'_

Heracross scowled at the grinning Muk and immediately attacked Muk with a Megahorn, intending to follow up with a _Hyperbeam_ while Muk reformed. Muk looked the same as before, not giving any outwards response at the attack. All of the observers thought Muk would take it like before and then reform, but-

Just as the _Megahorn _reached Muk, the living Blob sprang into action and took hold of Heracross, who was panicking at the sudden action from the usually lazy and affectionate Poison Type. Muk then used its most recently learned attack, _Poison gas. _A purplish Smoke came out of Muk's mouth, hitting Heracross point blank. The thing with _Poison _gas was that not only did it poison the person or Pokémon inhaling it, it also acted as an eye and skin irritant. Although Heracross's armour protected it from skin irritation, its eyes were shut due to the sudden burning in them. The Poison took effect almost immediately, effectively weakening Heracross, who barely used a weak _Horn Attack _to escape.

I decided that it was time to stop the battle, seeing as I had to go to see Professor Oak. "Alright guys, that's enough!" The Pokémon immediately agreed, with most of the Pokémon looking at Muk in a new light. No one had thought that Muk would be able to challenge Heracross. Heracross went off into the nearby orchard to eat a few berries to recover, shrugging off my concerns.

"You were great Muk! Your strategy and attacks were very nicely coordinated!" I praised my only Poison Type. Muk jumped at me with a weak_ Body slam_, flattening me on the ground.

"Muuuukkk!" Needless to say, Muk was very happy from his near victory over one of Ash's main battlers. Muk expressed his happiness in the only way he knew, by glomping his trainer in a affectionate hug!

I could barely breathe under the body of Muk, not to mention the stench. I still hugged back Muk weakly. I found the fact that me, Professor Oak and Professor Birch were not dead from being under the body of a Pokémon whose mere presence on the ground made it impossible for grass to grow otherwise, very surprising. Perhaps Muk could control what it wanted to destroy?

"Y-Yeah! I-I l-love you too b-buddy!" I said as loudly as I could with a 100 kg blob on top of me. I looked at Snorlax with pleading eyes, who sighed and used _Mega Kick _on Muk, saving me from an unfortunate death by choking under my own Pokémon. Muk landed a few metres back and promptly grew back from his deformed shape. I and my Pokémon gave a universal shiver at the creepy laughter from Muk.

**XXX**

"So Ash, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Now fully up and about, Professor Oak asked me as he sipped on his morning tea. His hair was still a bit dishevelled and clothing had crinkles, but he looked fairly awake.

"It's about the Pokémon Champion's League Professor Oak." The Professor's eyes widened at that "Yeah I saw the letter and brochure which you kept in the lab."

"What do you want to know Ash?" The Professor wasn't surprised by the question Ash asked him in the slightest. In fact, he had been expecting such a question at the moment Ash read the brochure.

"I want to seriously ask you Professor Oak, do you think I am a good trainer?" I asked bluntly to the Professor, who shifted in his seat.

"Of course Ash, you are one of the best young trainers I have ever met." The Professor said.

I did not smile at the answer, I had expected the same thing. But I wanted the honest one, not one which I wanted to hear. "No, Professor. Please tell me what you really think about me, about my chances at the Pokémon Champion's League, against th-the Elite Four." I asked in a fierce tone.

Professor Oak looked Ash in the eye for a few seconds, after which he sighed heavily and began to answer his honest opinion. He just hoped that Ash didn't think any less of him after this. But unfortunately for Oak...

**XXX**

_A few minutes earlier_

Delia Ketchum hummed happily to herself as she put some biscuits in a tray to give to the Professor. She had been a student of Professor Oak in her younger days and thus was quite close to him and his family. She had brought Ash over quite a few times when he had been a child, and thus nurtured his love for Pokémon.

While coming to the Lab in the morning, she had been surprised to see Ash with his Pokémon, training hard along with them. She observed them with a proud smile for a few minutes before moving into the Lab to make her usual Tea for her Teacher.

'_My little Ashy is growing so fast! I just hope that his dream comes true soon.'_ Delia thought to herself as she opened the door to Professor Oak's living room.

"Here's your snack Profe-"

"...and as you are now Ash, you don't have the slightest chance to win against a Champion." She saw as Professor Oak finished with his arms crossed and a depressed looking Ash sitting before him.

She saw red at that, and like a raging Tauros she moved to towards the scared shitless Professor, who just noticed the enraged mother's presence.

"**SAMUEL OAK! HOW DARE YOU PUT DOWN MY SON LIKE THAT!" **Delia yelled as she raised her tray to hit and probably give a concussion to the shaking Professor.

"N-N-NO! D-Delia Its not-" Professor Oak could see his very life flashing in front of his eyes as Delia raised the tray further to get the most painful hit. But then a sudden voice stopped her.

**XXX**

"Stop, Mom."

"But why Ash? How dare that old fart put you down like th-" Delia once again turned her heated eyes towards the aged Professor, who was hiding behind the couch.

'"Its okay Mom, I needed to hear his honest opinion." I said as I tried to placate my mother.

"But you won the Unova League honey, then why did he say that you don't stand a chance against the Champions?" Delia said in a mildly angered and confused tone.

"Yes, I won the Unova League mom, but the elite four and Champions are at a completely different level from that. I asked for Professor Oak's thoughts on my battling style and the condition of my Pokémon. And his opinion really helped me Mom, now I know what faults I have and I can think about how to improve upon them." I said, hoping that Mom would lose her anger towards the Professor, who gave me a discreet thumbs up from behind the Couch.

Delia looked convinced at that, but didn't leave the room before giving the Professor a small glare.

Professor Oak looked over the couch and when the coast was clear, sat back on it. "Thank you very much Ash, I think you saved from certain death today." Professor Oak said in a thankful tone.

Delia Ketchum was one of the kindest persons anyone could ever meet. And not to mention a doting mother. But when she got angry... Oak gave an involuntary shiver at that.

I decided to turn back the conversation to the main topic. "So what you are saying is that there is a big power imbalance in my team?" This was one of the points which intrigued me the most.

Professor Oak closed his eyes thoughtfully. "Yes my boy, Your Sinnoh Pokémon are the most powerful bunch among them, whereas your Jhoto and Hoenn Pokémon are the weakest. Your habit of leaving them here each year did not help in the slightest. The Pokémon slacked off and gave up on their training, well most of them. Sceptile is one of the few who admirably kept up his training."

"But why didn't the others do too?" I pressed on.

"You see Ash, the main reason for Pokémon to train and fight in the wild is either for Food or for Territory. Since they have a constant source of food here and have no need for territories, they don't have a need for training."

My eyes widened at this information. So it _is_ my fault. I abandoned them here, causing them to give up on their survival instincts and grow much too comfortable in a friendly atmosphere. No wonder Torkoal was knocked out after one attack, he had forgotten how to deal with them!

So to make them get back their previous power and then eventually surpass that, I knew what I needed to do. And I just had one year and one month to do it.

"I need to go on a training trip." I announced to the Professor, who looked at me with an appraising eye.

"And one more thing my boy, your team needs to have more Pokémon of different typings. From your records, I have seen that you have let go of quite a few Pokémon, I would suggest getting them back." Professor Oak said as he remembered the records of a Larvitar, Haunter and Lapras on Ash's Pokedex.

"Yeah, it looks like the time to get back my old friends is now." '_Of course that is if they want to return.'_ Ash thought as he looked out of the large window present in the Living room, observing his and his friend's Pokémon interact happily with each other, showing the same bonds of friendship as the one present between their masters.

"You know Ash, the information you gave us regarding Legendary Pokémon shook the foundations of the Pokémon Scientific community yesterday." Professor Oak commented as he took a sip from his now cold tea.

"How so Professor?" I asked. Did my findings really matter that much?

Samuel Oak looked at the young man sitting before him incredulously. "My boy, for one you confirmed to us that these Pokémon actually exist. Before you reported your discoveries to me, no one knew whether Arceus, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina were actually real or not. Of course there was that scientist who was researching the reverse world, but now his statements can be actually believed by me and many others. We know about a new species of Pokémon, Deoxys, for god's sake! From what you have described to me, Deoxys came from another planet, do you know just how large this information is?"

I shook my head dumbly.

Professor Oak clapped his hands on my shoulder. "That means that there are completely different species of Pokémon out there in the Universe, just think of the possibilities! From years we have debated on the possibility of Volcarona belonging from the Sun! The SUN ASH! The existence of Deoxys proves the presence of Pokémon on other Planets. Heck there might be Pokémon on the moon."

"Wow." Really, that was all I could possibly say.

Professor Oak then raised a finger "And for that Ash, I have a gift for you." '_Well actually it was a gift for winning the Unova League, but now you deserve it even more.'_

I waited patiently in the room as I wondered just what gift could Professor Oak have for me. An egg? Super portions? Set of Pokeballs? Training guides?

But what Professor Oak came back with was a fairly large watch like gadget, with a nice screen on it. "I present to you Ash, my newest invention, the Prototype Pokémon Technical information device mode no. A-998471." He said proudly as he raised the Device in various poses.

"Um what?" What the heck was with such a large name.

Professor Oak face-palmed "Urg, it is a new type of Pokedex I have designed Ash, its name is XtremeDex, pretty cool huh!" Professor Oak said in a jovial tone.

'_That's a cool name?'_ I mentally questioned myself, but then shook my head and graciously accepted the device from Professor Oak. "So how do I use it Professor?"

"You just Strap it on to your wrist, just like a watch." I did the same and then my eyes widened in wonder as the XtremeDex came alive, its 4 inch screen lighting up as various applications came over it, almost none of which I recognised. But the most shocking thing was the sudden voice that came from the device.

"Good Morning, Sir." The device said in a polite tone, the voice similar to my older Pokedex's.

"Whoa, what was that Professor?" I asked in amazement.

The Professor's chest puffed out in pride. "This Ash is my ultimate invention in the field of Pokedex to date. The XtremeDex is a device which works as an all round gadget. You can use it to see the time, to set alarms, to see information about various Pokémon, set your schedule, and keep Phone numbers and so much more! But the main thing about it is-" The Professor was interrupted as the voice spoke up once more.

"I can talk to you, sir." The voice said politely. "Indeed Ash, the device is fully self aware and can make meaningful conversations with you on practically any topic."

Wow. Talk about modern technology. "So what's your name?" I asked it. Seeing as it could talk, it must also have a name.

"My name is Dexter, sir." The Device said back politely.

"Well, nice to meet you Dexter, I'm Ash Ketchum!" I said in a happy voice. After all, when do you get the chance to talk to a real machine?

"Nice to meet you, sir. My job is to help you in your journey by helping you identify and capture Pokémon. I can also help you maintain any schedule you feed into me. My battery is a bit low, so I would suggest plugging me in to charge me back. By my calculations, 2 hours will be enough for the task."

Well that was a relief. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I forgot about such things pretty quickly. So a device which can remind me of such things is pretty froot. (1) But then- "What if I am is some area where there is no electrical supply? How will I charge Dexter then Professor?"

The Professor waved off my concerns. "That won't be a problem my boy. If you charge Dexter's battery for a week from now, on electricity, then its batteries will get fully operational, after which the battery life will increase tenfold, also it has a solar charging screen, so it would hardly be a problem." Indeed. For a device like a Pokedex, which is used by Trainers who spend most of their time in forests or training grounds, a device solely dependent on Electricity is not viable.

I nodded and went to attach Dexter to the Power Plug which was quite congested, seeing as many of the Lab's machines were attached to it.

When I walked back to the Professor, he gave me a warning "There is something you must know Ash. Dexter is a self aware program, but it is just that a program. Dexter doesn't understand emotions or feelings or even common courtesy. The only reason he calls you sir is because I have implemented a forced command in it. Also, Dexter might bitch about a few things so be careful." The Professor said in a whisper. I sweatdropped at the late warning, only to hear Dexter speaking up once more.

"Sir, I truly hope that your home is better than my cheap _creator's_ place. I can hardly gather enough energy from this low life place." Dexter commented in a snobby voice, saying the word _creator_ as if it was beneath him. The XtremeDex was vibrating at some points, for extra effect of a shiver.

As Professor Oak made his way out of the room, a look of extreme relief washed over his face. '_FINALLY! Finally I got rid of Dexter, thing was getting so freaking annoying! Just what was I thinking when I installed the 'Curse' file in it? Well Ash I have complete belief in you that you will be able to take care of it...probably.'_

Not for the first time in his life did Ash wonder just what he had gotten himself into.

**XXX**

**Omake (ALTERNATE UNIVERSE)**

Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Master from 20 years and unrivalled in his battling prowess, walked out to the arena as his trusty Pikachu rode on his shoulder. It was for the first time in 3 years that he was coming out of his self imposed exile cum training session on Mount Silver. He didn't know what Pokémon his Challenger possessed, but if he had been able to go through all of the Elite Four and Champions, then he must be something alright.

He had just been informed that the guy facing him wanted an equal one on one battle. His Ninetails against the challenger's. Ash had smirked upon the over confidence of his challenger, Ninetails had been one of his very first Pokémon and certainly the strongest after Charizard and Pikachu. Well, no matter, he would crush this guy!

"And now Ladies and Gentlemen, the Pokémon Master of the world, ASH KETCHUM!" The announcer yelled in a loud voice as the audience cheered somewhat, confusing Ash. Had the challenger become so popular that he surpassed his own?

Well, Ash would see. "And now, Ladies and gentlemen, presenting to you, the guy who over ran the competition with a single Pokémon, ladies and gentlemen he defeated Cynthia, Lance, Dianthia, Wallace and Alder with the same Pokémon! Presenting to you, NARUTO UZUMAKI!" the Audience went ballistic at the arrival of the competitor

Ash observed his competition; the blonde haired boy in front of him had spiky sunny blonde hair and three off whisker marks on his cheeks. He wore a orange and black jumpsuit which looked much worse for wear. He was grinning and waving to the audience like a goof.

'_Heh, fool.'_ "Ninetails, I CHOOSE YOU!" Ash yelled as he threw his Pokeball, with a nine tailed silvery fox emerging from the Pokeball. Ash smirked '_Let's see him deal with Nine-o.'_

The competitor didn't give any hint of worry or fear at facing the strongest Pokémon trainer to date. He simply made a few off movements with his hands before slamming them on the ground.

"**KUCHIYOSE: Ninetails**!" Naruto yelled as the whole arena was covered in a huge puff of smoke.

Ash's eyes widened in disbelief and pure unadulterated fear as he saw the behemoth before him. The 'Ninetails' was of a blood red colour, with nine tails flowing behind him and slitted red eyes.

"Holy fuck what do you feed your Ninetails!" Ash screamed in fear. His Ninetails had gotten the fuck out of the arena after seeing the other Ninetails.

"A lot of Spinach." Just as Naruto said that, Kyuubi took out a huge can of Spinach from out of nowhere and ate it, with Popeye the sailor Man's theme playing in the background.

**A/N: **SO! That's the third chapter guys, I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! I intended to show a prelude of how Ash and his Pokémon will be training, also now that the girl's crushes are out of the bag, what's gonna happen? Will Iris get the girls into some crazy scheme for confessing their love for Ash? Will Dexter turn out to be a friend or an annoyance? Just how fucking ridiculous will it be for Naruto to battle with his own Ninetails?

All those questions will certainly not be answered in the next chapter, because that will make the story boring. But rest assured Shippers of various shapes and kinds, many of you will be pleased by what I do, and if for some reason you don't, you can always review your unhappiness! And for newly created Dexter fans, well I guran-damn-tee you that Dexter will have his moments in the fic.

Also someone asked for a Mewtwo arc. Well I must admit I am thinking of doing something now that there are two Mewtwo's in the world, one Male and one Female (nudge-nudge wink-wink). What I have in mind is a hilarious meeting between the three, which would lead to t-

Ah, now that would be telling, wouldn't it? Rest assured, you will like it.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story! And the long ass Author's note.

If you have read Chris Jericho's (WWE) book, _Undisputed_, then you damn well know what I'm talking about!

Tango Charlie out.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Chapter 4 is upon us! **This chapter was one of the difficult ones to write, putting in the emotions of Pokémon is quite hard I tell you.

I was just reading the reviews my wonderful readers have left upon this story and I came by a pretty froot suggestion. The female Frillish from Unova. Thanks dude, definitely considering her now! Water+Ghost makes for an interesting combination!

Also one more thing guys, and it's pretty major in my opinion. Have any of you seen the new **Pokerap with all the 700+ Pokémon**? Its preettyyy epic...so please try it!

I hope that you enjoy the chapter. It's my opinion that the Plot is coming along quite nicely and I have the belief that this story will go very high, of course that is if you support it!

**XXX**

**POKESPEECH ACTIVATED**

_**Time:**__ The Night of return of Ash, 1 day ago_

As Bulbasaur talked up with the various new Pokémon that Ash had brought back from Unova, he looked back impatiently towards May, who was just about to release her Pokémon for the night.

"_Getting impatient, are we?" _Charizard asked with a smirk towards Bulbasaur, gaining everyone's immediate attention.

"_Huh? Impatient for what?" _Pikachu asked in a confused tone as he looked between a blushing Bulbasaur and smirking Charizard.

"_Heh, waiting for Bulbasaur's little girlfriend, of course." _Charizard said in a smug tone. Bulbasaur blushed even brighter. Pikachu however, paled and moved a bit away from the scene, no one noticed.

"_Holy shit, you mean May's Bulba?" _Sceptile asked in an astonished voice as he looked at Bulbasaur. Corphish and Swellow also looked surprised at this.

"_Whoa, congratulations dude! Bulba sure was a hottie alright." _Swellow said with a smirk as he nudged Bulbasaur with his wing. His comment earned him a glare from Bulbasaur, but Swellow was happy enough that his travelling friend Bulba and lab friend Bulbasaur were an item.

However, the Sinnoh Pokémon were looking uneasily at each other. This was only noticed by Charizard, who also noticed Pikachu not getting involved in teasing Bulbasaur '_Strange? I had though Pikachu would be one of the first to tease Bulbasaur. Is something going on?'_

"_Should we tell him or what?" _Infernape questioned his fellow Sinnoh mates. Each and every one of the Sinnoh Pokémon looked with sadness at each other, knowing full well that Bulbasaur's heart will be broken. Bulbasaur's friendly nature and habit of keeping everyone in control had made him a favourite among all of the Pokémon of Ash, so the ones who knew the truth were quite sad for the little guy.

"_Nah, let bro find out by himself, it will be better for him." _Buizel finally decided and everyone agreed.

Charizard observed the strange behaviour of the Sinnoh Pokémon, but shrugged it off as something unimportant. He then looked on at Bulbasaur with a smile and nodded at him to go meet up with Bulba. Sceptile winked at Bulbasaur. He was very happy that Bulbasaur had found someone for him, although much to his worry, there was a nagging feeling in his heart, the same feeling he had before Megnanium left him for that damn Tropius.

Bulbasaur ran forward in excitement to meet up with Bulba. '_Oh man, so many days have passed since I last met her!' _

It was just then that May released her Pokémon "All of you come on out!" She yelled as six figures materialised.

"_Bulba!" _Bulbasaur yelled in happiness as he went forward to search for his love. But as the Pokémon materialised, his breath stopped-

-because before him was not the Bulba he knew, but a pretty large Venasaur. '_No. This can't be happening with me!'_

Bulbasaur started hyperventilating as he saw the two heart shaped symbols on Venasaur's face. '_So it is her. But why? Why did she evolve!?' "WHY!?" _He finally yelled, causing May's Pokémon to look at him in confusion for a second, before their eyes widened. The other Pokémon silently made their way out of there, until only Bulbasaur and Venasaur remained.

Venasaur looked at Bulbasaur with sadness "_I wanted to be stronger Bulbasaur, that's all." _She explained.

"_But we don't need to evolve to get stronger! Why the hell don't you get that!?"_ Bulbasaur yelled in pain and anguish.

Venasaur didn't do anything other than sighing at Bulbasaur's behaviour. _"I'm sorry Bulbasaur, but this is the way I reached my full potential and helped to fulfil May's ambition."_

Bulbasaur looked perplexed_ "But that doesn't answer my question, . !? I am strong, Pikachu is strong, we didn't need to evolve to get-" _Bulbasaur was shut up as Venasaur snorted.

"_Look at yourself Bulbasaur, can't you see just how selfish you are being? Don't you and Pikachu get it? By evolving, we Pokémon reach our true potential. That's why evolution is a __**natural **__process. So it's not me who has done anything wrong, it's you and Pikachu who are opposing the flow of Nature. Do you honestly think that Charizard could have gotten half as strong as he is now if he didn't evolve!? Give me a break Bulbasaur." _She scoffed.

Bulbasaur wanted to cry, he really did, but his male pride didn't allow him to. Words of his precious Bulba hurt him more than any _Flamethrower_ from Charizard could ever have.

"_I mean, seriously, just think if you had evolved back in your first journey Bulbasaur. Just think how much more you could have helped Ash, but noooo you just had to stay as a Bulbasaur, just because of your pride and fear." _She spat at the slowly breaking Bulbasaur. _"You should be thankful that Ash is such a great guy and loves you all so much, any other trainer who had an ambition to win would have forced you to evolve."_

Each and every Pokémon around was looking quietly at the scene unfolding before them. The jolly mood of all the Pokémon excited to meet up with their friends had lowered down considerably. Ash's Pokémon were seething in anger, Sceptile was almost vibrating as his anger reached limits untold of. Bulbasaur was one of_ them_, how dare the bitch put him down.

Bulbasaur looked even more broken t that. He knew full well how it felt to get abandoned by a trainer, thank you very much. But now he couldn't say anything that could refute any of Venasaur's point. It was true that if he had evolved then he could have helped out Ash in their first league. So now he said the only thing that he knew he had left to say_. "B-But I l-loved you Bulba." _He said as he lowered his eyes towards the ground, to shield the lone tear that had fallen out of his eyes.

Almost the entire group felt their own hearts break at the scene.

Venasaur visible flinched at that_ "I liked you too Bulbasaur, but now nothing is possible between us. I would suggest you to mov-" _Venasaur was shut up as a loud thump occurred in the ground between Bulbasaur and Venasaur.

Sceptile had heard enough by this point_. "And I would suggest you to shut the fuck up." _He said in a cold voice, making Venasaur gulp.

"_I don't know what has happened to you after evolving Venasaur, but get over it. The way you are putting down Bulbasaur is simply unreal. And if you say even one more word, I'm afraid I do not know what I would do-" _Sceptile was cut off as Bulbasaur's voice rang out in the quiet clearing.

"_No need for that Sceptile. I know what Venasaur is saying is true. Now that she is a Venasaur and I'm a Bulbasaur, nothing could happen between us. Really, it's better if we forget there ever was anything between us." _Bulbasaur said coolly. Yes, the blatant disrespect hurt, but it was not as if he could blame Venasaur for evolving. It was her decision, just as it had been his own to not evolve.

Venasaur started shaking at that_ "But why can't you evolve into a Venasaur? What's so wrong with it? We could be together Bulbasaur, me and you, just evolve, just accept the way of Nature-"_

"_That's enough Venasaur. You have made your point and I, mine. It would be better if you follow what Sceptile is saying." _Bulbasaur said coldly as he turned away and walked towards his friends, his real friends. Venasaur said nothing, but a lone tear did fell from her eye. She admitted in her heart that Bulbasaur not calling her Bulba hurt more than she imagined.

"_You okay man?" _Pikachu asked as he neared his long time friend.Seeing Bulbasaur so sad added to Pikachu's guilt of not telling his long time friend the truth about Bulba.

"_It's all right Pikachu." _Bulbasaur said with a fake smile. On the inside though, he was a mixture of a hundred different emotions. Should he evolve? Should he stay true to his word?_ "No need to fret guys, I'll be fine. It may not be tonight or tomorrow, but I'll be fine." _Bulbasaur assured his friends as they looked at him with encouraging smiles.

But Charizard was the only one who didn't say anything. He had a feeling in his heart that something was about to happen. Something major, that would affect his friend.

**POKESPEECH DEACTIVATED**

**XXX**

**XXX**

_After Ash's talk with the Professor_

After my long talk with Professor Oak, I made my way outside to where my Pokémon were. I remembered Professor Oak's advice for me to expand my party, and no time is better than now. My first choice was the Pokémon who was my very second capture and also one of my most loyal Pokémon, Pidgeot. I had attached Pidgeot's old Pokeball to my waist, so as to return Pideot once I met him. The reason I had kept the Pokeball was to protect Pidgeot from being captured by another trainer during the time I was away.

The reason for this was two-fold. First of all, getting Pidgeot back would massively help my other flying types, seeing as Pidgeot was the senior-most among them. Swellow and Noctowl were heavily lacking in Flying type moves and who better to teach them than a massively experienced one. The second reason was very simple.

I had promised him.

I had promised Pidgeot that I will return for him one day. In the 5 years that I had left him, his flock was sure to have grown and some Pidgeotto must have evolved, so getting Pidgeot back should be no problem.

So now my problem was just how to get there. Walking by foot would take me atleast 1 or 2 days and that much time I did not have to waste by travelling to pointless places. That left flying.

Charizard and Garchomp, these were my two Pokémon capable of flying while me riding them. Although Staraptor was big, his size still wasn't enough for me to ride on him. So with that in mind I called out-

"Charizard!" The reason for choosing Charizard was simple, he actually knew Pidgeot from way back to my first Kanto journey. Taking a predator Pokémon like Garchomp could cause unnecessary trouble and fear among the wild Flying types, which I did not want.

Charizard rose up from under the tree where he was resting and flew towards his trainer. Landing gracefully, Charizard awaited for orders from Ash. Seeing his trainer, Pikachu also bundled up towards Ash.

"Let's go Charizard, we're gonna get back our friend." I said to Charizard.

Charizard tilted his head in confusion, but didn't say anything and lowered his back for Ash to climb upon. Just as Ash and Charizard were about to take off, a yellow rodent came running towards the duo.

"PIKA PIKACHU!" Pikachu yelled as he stood before Ash and Charizard.

I thought about it for a while. While I wanted to take Pikachu with me to meet Pidgeot, I also knew that it was not fair for Bulbasaur to miss out on seeing his old friend. So I decided to get Bulbasaur's Pokeball too, before taking off.

**XXX**

Me, Charizard and Pikachu were soaring above the skies of Viridian Forest. We had entered the area about 29 minutes ago and still there was no sight of Pidgeot or his flock.

"Where is Pidgeot?" I asked to no one in particular. Pikachu was also having a look out while clutching tightly on my shoulder. Suddenly Charizard jerked violently.

"Whoa! What's happening Charizard!?" I asked in panic to my first fire type. The winds were not so fast as to cause a massive Pokémon like Charizard any trouble, unless-

"It's a Pokémon attack! Charizard, stay on guard." I said to Charizard who grunted in agreement

Not one second later, a huge bird with a glowing wing, '_Steel Wing' _I realised, came towards us at supersonic speed; almost blurring in the air. But Charizard himself was no slouch and expertly dodged the attack.

Charizard cursed his luck. Any other time and he would have roasted the bird foolish enough to attack him, but now that Ash was on his back he simply could not go all out!

As the bird, which was even larger than Staraptor, reached a point 45 metres above us, I finally observed just what Pokémon was it. And when I did, my eyes widened.

"Wait Pidgeot, it's me Ashhhhhhhh!" I tried to yell when Pidgeot attacked Charizard with another steel wing which Charizard dodged again, but the attack was enough for me to fall off Charizard and descend at high speeds towards the not so distant ground.

"AHHHHHHHHHH" I screamed in pure unadulterated fear as I held on to Pikachu and fell to what could only be my death, but to me and Pikachu's astonishment, I was caught by something. Something far softer than Charizard. I opened my eyes to see that it was Pidgeot who had caught me!

Pidgeot for his part was quite annoyed at the Charizard who had been circling over their area for quite some time and promptly went to chase him away. But when he saw the human who he had accidently pushed off Charizard, his heart had nearly stopped beating. It was Ash! After so many years he had come back for him and he had pushed him to his death! Pidgeot could swear that never in his life had he flown so fast. And never had he felt the **utter relief** he felt now that he had caught Ash and his old buddy Pikachu.

"Y-You gave m-me and P-Pikachu quite the scare there Pidgeot." I said to Pidgeot as me and Pikachu chuckled nervously. But much to his confusion, Pidgeot didn't respond. Was this some other Pidgeot? No, Pikachu recognised him too. Then why? Is he angry I did not return sooner?

As me and Pidgeot landed on the forest floor, I weakly thanked Pidgeot and lay on the ground to calm my racing heart. A split second later, an ear splitting roar was heard as Charizard landed on the ground. Seeing Ash lying on the ground, his heart skipped a beat and he immediately looked at Pikachu, who gave a thumbs up to indicate that everything was OK.

I slowly got up from the ground after a few seconds and looked towards Pidgeot, who was facing away from me. Was he angry I hadn't returned? "Hey Buddy!" I said to Pidgeot, who turned towards me but didn't take his eyes up. "You've grown really strong Pidgeot." I praised the large bird, who flinched at the praise.

Pidgeot was looking with shame towards the ground. How had he even thought of attacking a human in the sky? Sure he should have scared him, but he could have killed someone by this reckless behaviour. And that someone had nearly turned out to be Ash.

I was seriously getting worried now. "Pidgeot, are you angry at me? I am sorry I didn't come back sooner buddy, but I knew that you had duties to the flock. I am really sor-" That was all I could say before Pidgeot lunged and hugged me with tears in his eyes.

Pidgeot was shocked. Here he was wondering when Ash would get angry at him and again leave him and now Ash was trying to say sorry to him? After he had tried to so blatantly murder him a minute ago? He wasn't able to control the tears threatening to spill anymore and hugged Ash, happy to be so close to his trainer after so many years.

Charizard and Pikachu smirked at each other. _Blackmail Material baby._

**XXX**

Pidgeot had pressed the button on his Pokeball before I could even request him to come back, so I had taken that as a sign that Pidgeot's flock didn't need any protection anymore. OR they have become self sufficient. After letting out Pidgeot once more to let him meet up with Bulbasaur, Pikachu and Charizard I had lunch along with them as they talked about various things which had happened after Pidgeot left the group. Pidgeot's eyes had widened and an awed '-Geoott' had come out quite a few times as he heard of the various stories from Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Charizard.

In the mean time, I observed Pidgeot. I admitted to myself that Pidgeot indeed had grown quite a lot in these five years. He had already been quite large for its species when it had first evolved, but now, after five years his height was even more than Krookodile. If compared, Pidgeot could easily come into the top five in size in its species

Seeing as it was just noon, I decided that I still had time to get back one more of our friend. One particularly well known to the small group of five before me. I clapped my hands to get the attention of my Pokémon, who immediately turned towards me. "Alright Guys, seeing as we have much time left, I think that we can get another one of our friends back." The group of four cheered at that and immediately began wondering just who it would be that they would get back.

I turned towards the Dragon Like Pokémon in the clearing "Charizard, I think that you must be tired from all the training we did in the morning and now from all the flying, you can get some rest while Pidgeot will provide me a ride." Pidgeot cooed happily at that, while Charizard grumbled. But Charizard knew that he indeed was tired and thus happy to get back into the Pokeball. I returned Bulbasaur and Pikachu got into his usual position on my shoulder.

Suddenly a question came to my mind. One which had been bugging me for quite a while now. "Say Pidgeot, what happened to that Fearow you were the enemy of?" Pidgeot merely tapped another Pokeball on belt.

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

I was only after a good script between Pikachu and Pidgeot that I finally understood that Fearow had been captured by another trainer. But who could have been brave/stupid enough to catch that bad ass Fearow? I rested those thought as I climbed on Pidgeot.

"Ready Pidgeot?" I asked the large bird as he carefully took off from and ground and started flying at medium speeds towards Vermillion City, which was our next destination. Flying on Pidgeot was a great experience and much more comfortable than Charizard or Garchomp. Pidgeot's soft feathers allowed for a much more comfortable and luxurious seat when compared to Charizard and Garchomp.

"It feels really good to have you back in the team buddy." I said in a genuinely happy voice and Pidgeot cooed softly in return.

**XXX**

_Vermillion City Fire fighting Department_

"Let's meet up with Squirtle guys!" I announced to my group of four as each of them yelled loudly in happiness, most of all Pidgeot, who couldn't wait to get back to his other Kanto friends like Kingler and Muk. I had already informed Officer Jenny yesterday that I might be coming to get back Squirtle. So there was no chance that he might be unavailable!

I had let out Charizard and Bulbasaur, so that we could all surprise Squirtle with the visit, as well as the major shocker of Pidgeot joining back. As I entered the Fire Fighting department, I was met with a few odd looks due to the Pokémon accompanying me, but I shrugged them off in the happiness of meeting one of my originals after such a long time. 2 years, to be precise.

"Oh! It's you Ash." Officer Jenny said sadly as she looked at Ash and his entourage of excited looking Pokémon.

I was quite confused at the sad tone of Officer Jenny's voice. "Um, yeah, I had informed you that I will be coming back to get Squirtle."

Her face looked solemn at that. "Yes of course, please take a seat Ash." She said in grave tone.

I was actually getting sacred right now. "W-What's the matter Officer jenny?" Charizard, Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Pidgeot also gulped and listened intently for Officer Jenny's answer. They wished they hadn't though.

"I-I I'm really sorry Ash." She said, her voice breaking. "T-There was an accident and things got bad and... a-and I'm sorry Ash, Squirtle is no more." She continued with a despondent face.

Ash and his Pokémon were shocked into stunned silence. Never in their life could they have comprehended what they were hearing now. Charizard's flame got dimmer, Pikachu fell down on his knees and Pidgeot looked ready to break down.

But in all this, Bulbasaur's face was comically twisted in horror as only one thought ran through his mind. '_That tone of voice... that hidden smile... saying Squirtle is no more...No. NO! OH __**FUCK **__NO!'_

"P-Please O-Officer Jenny, can you tell me what happened? " Tears were streaming down my eyes and I didn't even care. Squirtle, my buddy, one of my Pokémon, ...is no more?

"Maybe this will explain it all Ash." She then turned towards one of the doors in the office. "YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!" Just as she yelled, the door opened and a big blue colored and Shell covered Pokémon entered the room. The Pokémon had two powerful Canons' on its back and its face was turned in a smile. But the most peculiar thing was the black glasses on his face.

Jenny suddenly broke into a large smile. "Ash, meet Blastoise!" She announced.

Bulbasaur slowly took a step back '_HOLY SHIT! IT REALLY HAS HAPPENED!'_

I sniffed as I turned towards the large shell Pokémon in the room. It's smile looking so much like Squirtle it was almost painful, and its glasses looking so muc-

Wait what.

Glasses? The gears slowly turned in my head. '_Squirtle is no more...there was an accident...no more...more...ore'_

"SQUIRTLE!?" I yelled. The large sunglasses wearing Pokémon nodded back happily in response.

I jumped up from my seat as I engulfed him in a hug. "Y-You never d-do that again, okay Blastoise? I was so sad buddy; I was so scared that I had lost you." I made Blastoise promise to never do such a horrible joke again and then promptly yelled at Jenny for the other half hour. Blastoise met up with the others, namely Charizard, Pikachu and Pidgeot. He and Charizard talked about something, which lead to Charizard scoffing and closing his eyes. Blastoise and Pidgeot met up with a manly hug, very happy to see each other after such a long time, even if they were in different forms.

But in all this, Bulbasaur had stood frozen with shock. First his Bulba evolves and turns into a complete bitch_, then_ she puts him down for not evolving and now Squirtle fucking _evolved TOO_? Bulbasaur's mouth opened in a choked and strangled cry, which in Poke Speech translated into, _'DAMNYOU MURPHY!"_

**XXX**

"Thanks for the ride Pidgeot." I thanked Pidgeot as we landed in the Professor oak's fields. Pikachu hopped from my shoulder and waited for me get off. I returned Pidgeot to his Pokeball for the time being.

"Pikachu, gather everyone around will ya?" I asked to Pikachu, who Pika'd in response and ran off towards the fields.

_15 Minutes Later_

As my large group of Pokémon stood before me, I coughed into my hand to clear my throat. "We've got two new friends guys, so I want you all to welcome them into our group and make friends with them. Also, some of you know them from before." I hinted before I threw the four Pokeballs in my hand.

"CHAA!" "BULBA!" "BLAAAST!" "-GEOTTT!" The four Pokémon materialized in their hulking forms, well except Bulbasaur. I watched with satisfaction as most of the Pokémon's eyes widened after learning that Squirtle and Blastoise where the same. Pidgeot met up with Kingler and Muk, before flying off to meet with the other flying types.

As Pidgeot landed before Swellow, Staraptor, Noctowl and Unfezant, he analysed each one of them with a critical glaze. Needless to say, all four of them were highly intimidated by the larger Pokémon before them. But when he nodded at them and extended his wing in greeting, the tension dissolved and the five began chattering around excitedly.

I did notice, however, Dewott striking Blastoise with a _Water gun_, confusing the large turtle.

"Blast?" Blastoise tilted his head at the middle evolved Unova Starter, who looked at him with a challenging gaze and smirk. Blastoise merely smirked back and readied his canons, with an audible clicking noise. Dewott however was intimidated this and moved a step back. Blastoise merely grinned at Dewott, making him relax. But Totodile narrowed his eyes at Blastoise and immediately came running towards me.

"TOTOTOTOTOTOTO!" Totodile began jumping around me in an erratic manner. "What's the matter Totodile?"

Totodile pointed to him and then pointed at Blastoise. "To-to-dile!" He said with a narrowed eyes.

So that's what he wants huh, well I'll fulfil his wish.

"Say Blastoise, are you up for a battle with Totodile?" I asked to my first water type, who scoffed in reply, as if saying '_You seriously need to ask that?_'

"Okay then Totodile, I will be ordering you while Blastoise will be battling by himself, is that okay?" I asked to the gator Pokémon. Since Blastoise had evolved, it was natural that he had much more raw power than before. Also, I had not battled with Totodile from a long time.

Totodile grinned in response; it had been far too many days since he had battled with Ash.

Quilava once again took the role of referee and counted down, before releasing his body flames to a large height to indicate the start of the battle.

"All right! Totodile, start off with a _Water gun!" _Totodile released a small but steady stream of water towards Blastoise, who countered with a much more powerful Hydro Canon. "DODGE Totodile!" Fortunately, my warning came just in time for Totodile, who jumped out of the way of the powerful attack. It was in good riddance too, since the powerful stream of water released from Blastoise's Canons hit a medium sized boulder, crushing it without any effort.

Blastoise however didn't want to give any space to the Gator Pokémon and immediately attacked with a _Rapid spin._ Its body recoiled back into its shell and it jumped into the air. Instead of falling down, the shell started rotating an inhuman speed and moved towards a panicking Totodile.

'_Damn! Blastoise's size is too large for Totodile to effectively dodge and his body is too small to continue after being hit by such an attack so what we have to do is...' "_Totodile, use _Bubble Beam _to create a protective wall around you!"

Totodile immediately used _Bubble Beam _in the way I said him to. With the wall of protective explosive Bubbles around Totodile, Blastoise's momentum gained _Rapid spin _could not be stopped and hit the Explosive Wall, only Blastoise's hard shell and Water typing protecting it from major injury.

Totodile smirked in satisfaction, until he saw that Blastoise's until now friendly face was turned into a lot more serious look. On one hand, it raised Totodile's warrior pride, on the other his common sense yelled at him to forfeit. But alas, Totodile was a predator, he didn't quit, not never.

"Totodile, use _Slash!" _I cursed in my mind for letting Totodile continue with such a weak moveset, but this just motivated me further to help the little guy.

Totodile rushed towards Blastoise as fast as he could, his claws glowing and growing larger, just as he entered into attacking range, Blastoise sprang into action and aimed a water gun at Totodile, but Totodile was nimble enough to dodge and attacked with Slash attack on Blastoise's leg, weakening it immensely due to the unprepared attack.

"Now finish this Totodile, use Aqua Tail!" I yelled as I saw an actual opening for Totodile to win!

Blastoise however had enough of this farce. Just as Totodile landed a few metres away from him, Blastoise opened his mouth wide and prepared a glowing blue ball of large proportions. '_Shit! Hydro Canon!' Hydro Canon_ was the strongest water type move with the most amount of damage done. Instead of _Hydro pump_, where a continuous stream of extremely fast moving water was released, _Hydro Canon_ created a sphere of all that fast moving water, creating a condensed ball with pressure enough to bring down a Plane.

"NO! TOTODILE DODGE!" I tried to warn Totodile, but no avail.

Totodile only had enough time to raise its prepared Aqua Tail to lessen the force impact before the powerful attack hit its mark. A large amount of Smoke was created from the explosion due to the clash between Hydro Canon and Aqua Tail. Every one of the Pokémon watched in attention to see whether Totodile had actually been able to pull over after an attack like that.

When the smoke cleared, Totodile was clearly lying face down in a lot of pain, but not defeated yet. Whereas Blastoise was merely a bit frazzled. It was clear to everyone who was the winner, but I cannot let that happen now, can I?

"Totodile, can you get up? I know you can buddy!" I tried to cheer up my Pokémon. Blastoise merely scoffed and turned away, not noticing Totodiles's lone open eye.

"To...to" Totodile weakly muttered as he got up on one knee, severely weaken, but still in the game. Most of the Pokémon looked in respect towards the little Croc.

Blastoise merely shook his head and readied his Canons for a _Water Gun_, using _Hydro Pump_ at this point would be a waste of his abilities. But it was then that Totodile stood up completely and opened his Jaw's wide.

"To...To...DILE!" Totodile yelled as he was covered in a bright light head to toe. '_Totodile's evolving!'_ I thought in excitement.

Just as the light died down, in the place of Totodile stood a Pokémon fairly similar looking to him. The new Pokémon had jaws even bigger than his pre-evolution and the under jaw was of a yellow colour. The Pokémon had red fin like structures on its back and head and sharp white teeth. The Pokémon also had a larger build than Totodile, similar to how Cyndaquill's size had increased when he evolved in Quilava.

"CROCONAWWW!" The new Pokémon yelled his name in triumph.

I grinned "Alright! You evolved Totodile!" I pointed my Pokedex at him, seeing as my new XtremeDex was still at Oak's.

"_**Croconaw"**_

"_**Once it bites down, it won't let go until it loses its fangs. New fangs quickly grow into place."**_

I congratulated my new Pokémon, but just as I got ready to issue a new set of commands to the newly evolved Croconaw, Croconaw headed towards Blastoise and held out his hand. Initially looking confused, Blastoise shook his hands after a few words between them.

I stood confused, until Professor Oak's voice cut through the air. "When a Pokémon comes close to evolving, it may demand such battles Ash."

"Huh? You mean Totodile knew he could lose?" I asked in an incredulous tone, and much to my astonishment Professor Oak nodded.

"Indeed Ash, Pokémon usually evolve when they are at the last legs of their energy and are mature enough to evolve. Also, the Pokémon must have through a longer battle, so that the enzymes catalyzing the cellular mutation throughout the body of the evolving Pokémon can be manifested in a larger amount. You see Ash, whenever humans or Pokémon are at their last vestiges of energy and their emotions are running high, an enzyme called adrenalin is secreted which gives us a instant shot of energy, and in the case of a mature Pokémon, it catalyses the Evolution. Totodile had been mature since a long time, it only needed that edge which he got from his overly disadvantaged battle today, to win." Professor Oak explained further.

"Ah." I nodded my head in understanding, even though most of it went over my head.

"So I see that Squirtle's evolved." Professor oak said with an appraising look as he analyzed the final form of one of the Kanto Starters.

"Yeah, Officer Jenny said that some emergency came up and the only way to save the day was for Squirtle to evolve. And when he evolved once, all his inhibitions about evolving went away and he evolved once more into Blastoise." I explained to Professor Oak, who nodded in understanding and walked towards some of the other areas in his ranch

As I continue to observe all of Pokémon, Professor Oak's voice raised once again. "And Ash...a..you might want to go to your home as fast as you can, you mother was getting awfully...worried."

I paled. I had totally forgotten to tell Mom about me going out to get back Pidgeot and Squirt- Blastoise.

'_Shit'_

**XXX**

"Ow! Mom, I said I'm sorry!" I tried to cover my head as Mom hit me once more with her wooden spoon.

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it young man! Did you know how worried I was when I saw you flying on Charizard? You could have fell Ash!" Delia scolded.

"But I didn't Mom, so it's OK!" I lied.

Mom finally relented. "Ok, I forgive you this time Ash, but please never do such a thing again. Now be a dear and go call the girls' downstairs, dinner is ready."

"Yes Mom." It was then that I remembered I had not seen any of my friends today. I happily made my way up the stairs and knocked on the door of my room. Truth be told, I was still a bit angry to not being let to sleep in my room. Sleeping in a room built for a single person with two other grown up guys wasn't exactly my idea of comfort.

Opening the door and seeing my_ hidden_ PokeToys not being so hidden anymore probably contributed to that.

**XXX**

The dinner went on nicely. Delia had bought a larger Dinner Table in the recent years, so there was no problem in the seating arrangements. Things looked to be going on nicely, but there were a few oddities, which only few noticed.

Dawn and Misty shuffled nervously as Brock looked at them with a knowing glint in his eyes. May and Ash kept on eating obliviously, when food is involved, both of them could be considered dead from the world.

"So...where were you today Ash? I'm sure the girls must have missed you..." Brock said, making the three girls stiffen in shock. How the hell did Brock know!?

Ash didn't notice anything, he just wiped his mouth and started speaking. "You wouldn't believe it guys, especially you, Misty!"

"H-huh me?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, remember what I told you about the Champion's League? Well I decided to get back a few of my older Pokémon and guess who I got back?" Ash asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Misty hummed in thought. "Is it Squirtle...or Primeape maybe?" She said as she remembered the hot-headed Pig Monkey Pokémon. Now _that_ had been one troublesome Pokémon.

Ash grinned. "You got the first part right Mist, but the second Pokémon I got back was the one you liked to tease me the most about." Ash didn't notice how tinge of red arose to Misty's cheeks when he called her _Mist_.

Misty cursed herself. Just what was she doing getting flustered at such little things!? She was not a high school fangirl dammit! "I really don't remember Ash." She said.

Ash's brows furrowed "Whaat! Why? Why don't you remember!?" He asked in anger.

Misty flustered nature disappeared and a tick mark grew on her forehead. "Well I'm sorry I don't remember something from **6 years **ago!" She said sarcastically.

Unfortunately Ash didn't notice. "Well you should be! The number of times you teased me about it was ridiculous in itself. But I think I can forgive you."

A tick mark grew on Misty's forehead, her hand reached towards her back where her trusty Mallet was ready. "I was being sarcastic you idiot!"

Ash's mouth opened to retort, but the only thing that came out was. "You were? I didn't notice."

Almost everyone face-faulted at the table.

"Ashy, I think it would be better if you just tell everyone." Delia said with soft voice to her son. His arguments with Misty were so random and high in number that even she had grown tired of stopping them.

"Oh Ok!" Ash's previous cheerful demeanour returned. "It was Pidgeot!" He announced, causing Brock's and Misty's eyes to widen.

"NO WAY!" Brock said with a unbelieving smile. "Hadn't Pidgeot stayed back for protecting the Pidgey and Pidgeotto in the forest?" Brock asked. He remembered Pidgeotto from way back when Ash first challenged his Gym.

"Well, it turns out that the Fearow was captured by some trainer, so there wasn't any need for Pidgeot to remain back in the forest." Ash explained.

"HUH! Fearow was captured!? Who was stupid enough to do such a thing?" Misty asked incredulously. The Viridian Forest Fearow had become feared name among Pokémon trainers travelling through the forest. The Fearow had intense hatred for any humans or Pokémon of other species. The League had even passed a preliminary decision to get one of the Elites capture and train it. The main reason being that Viridian Forest was a path taken by many trainers and researchers to get to Pallet Town, which was famous for being Professor Oak's hometown and base.

"What's so special about this Fearow Ash?" Dawn asked in confusion.

"I didn't tell you, did I?" Ash smiled nostalgically as he began telling the three girls, May, Dawn and Iris, the story of the first day of his Pokémon Journey. Even Delia listened. Although she had known that her son had almost gotten heavily injured on his first day, she didn't know the full story.

"NO WAY! Pikachu didn't listen to _you!?" _ Cilan asked in a shocked voice. Pikachu and were so close, it was as if they were brothers. He couldn't have been able to imagine Pikachu turning on Ash if he had not seen it herself during the time he met that crazy scientist Colress. Team Plasma had designed a machine which could make even the loyalist of Pokémon turn on their own trainers, leaving such trainers defenceless from protecting themselves and their Pokémon from Team Plasma.

Ash chuckled "Yeah. When I had gotten Pikachu, he didn't listen to me at all! I had to tie him up with a rope and use rubber gloves to pull him with me!" Dawn, May and Iris's jaw dropped a that, while Delia remembered the day with a smile. Cilan was the most surprised, he had never thought that Ash and Pikachu were once a flavour so bad.

"And as you can imagine, I wanted to catch new Pokémon. So I decide to do it myself, without the help of Pikachu. I tried to capture a Pidgey with my jacket, but it flew away." Ash said, dejected at his first failure.

Almost everyone stifled their laughter at that.

"And after that I threw a stone at what I thought was another Pidgey, but instead, it turned out to be a Spearow." Ash continued.

"Well, that wouldn't have turned out nice." May deadpanned. During her journeys through Kanto and Johto, she had her fair share of meeting with enraged Spearow's.

Ash snorted, that was a understatement if there ever was one."Yeah." He then continued "So that one Spearow got his entire flock chasing after me and Pikachu. After running for a while, we reached a dead end, only there was a waterfall in front of me."

"So did Pikachu start listening to you and drive those Spearow away?" May asked. It was after all the most logical answer.

But Ash Ketchum and logical don't work well together "Nah. Me and Pikachu jumped into the waterfall." Ash said rather casually.

"**WHAT!" **A unified voice came from everyone on the table. May, Dawn and Iris couldn't believe what their crush/friend had done. Brock was shocked, but he shouldn't have been after being on so many adventures with Ash. Misty for her part was terrified, she had though that Ash had fallen into the river some way below, but to jump down a water fall!?

But Delia.

"ASH KETCHUM! HOW DARE YOU DO SOMETHING SO RECKLESS!" Delia screamed at her son with such rage it almost made him pee his pants.

"C-Calm down Mom." After a few minutes in which Ash calmly promised his Mom that he wouldn't get into any similar trouble anytime soon, he continued.

"And I'll really be honest guys, I thought that was it for me, but Misty saved my life." Ash looked with a warm smile towards Misty, who blushed a bit at the sincere expression.

"_Tsundere." _ Iris whispered mischievously to Misty, who levelled a glare at the purple haired girl.

"After that, I stole Misty's bike and almost escaped from the Spearow's. But unfortunately they caught up with us and we fell down. A thunderstorm had also started by this point." Ash said in a sombre tone.

Dawn gasped "What happened then Ash?" She had gotten very into this story. She never knew Ash's first day was so incredibly dangerous.

Ash grinned as he told his friends the story of the first day of his Pokémon journey..

**XXX**

_**6 years ago...**_

"_We're almost there!" Ash shouted as he held his head down and pedalled faster than he had ever before._

_But suddenly, the front tire of the bike hit a stray rock, and Ash and Pikachu crashed to the ground. Skidding for a few feet, the bike landed a few metres ahead of the duo, closing off any chance for them to try to escape._

_Ash was bleeding. He bleeded from the many cuts and bruises on his body, but no, that wasn't the source for his worry. At the moment, the future Pokémon Master to be had just one thing on his mind._

'_Pikachu! Pikachu, this can't...happen.' Ash thought desperately as he looked at the fallen form of the Yellow coloured Electric Mouse. _

"_Pikachu, get inside..." Ash whispered to his wide eyed Pokémon. With a trembling hand, Ash put Pikachu's Pokeball in front of the Pokémon, who looked at the ball with fear in his eyes._

"_I know you're afraid of going in there, but if you're inside maybe... maybe I can save you." Ash continued as Pikachu looked at him with utter shock and disbelief. "Please, Pikachu, please listen to me and go inside. After that then..." Ash gave a mirthless chuckle. But Pikachu couldn't help but... but __**believe **__in the words of human in front of him. _

_Ash looked at Pikachu with steeled brown eyes, the fear replaced by confidence. "After that, just trust me."_

_By this time, the Spearows had gathered over the fallen forms of Ash and Pikachu. Looking with bloodthirsty eyes towards the duo, the Spearow grinned at the prospect of an easy victory._

_But much to their shock, the human in front of them got up... weakly and with many trembles, but got up none the less._

_Ash looked up at the Spearows with confident brown eyes. Lightning sparked across the skies, showering momentary light upon Ash."Spearows, do you know I am? I'm Ash from the town of Pallet! I am destined to be the world's number one Pokémon master. I can't be defeated by the likes of you! I'm going to capture and defeat you all. You hear me?" Ash then looked back at Pikachu, who stared wide eyed at the scene "Go inside the Pokeball, it's the only way!" He then turned back to the Spearows, spreading his hands to protect Pikachu. "Come and get me!"_

_The Spearow charged at Ash after his declaration, intent of ripping him from limb to limb. But Pikachu... Pikachu had had enough._

_Adrenalin rushing through his veins, Pikachu jumped up on Ash's shoulder, and used the momentum to get in between the charging Spearows and his Trainer. Giving a mighty battle cry, Pikachu excluded all of the Electricity present in its body in one mighty Thunderbolt._

"_**P-I-K-A-C-H-U!" **_

_A lightning bolt fell from the sky onto Pikachu, amplifying his power even further. The Thunderbolt hit the flock of Spearows with the sound resembling the going off of a canon, and roasted them to the very bone..._

**XXX**

"It was almost as if the Lightning had fallen from the sky itself! The Spearow and Misty's Bike were roasted by it. After that, I and Pikachu woke up in the Pokémon Centre. And so, the Fearow was the same Spearow I had hit way back on my first day." Ash finished.

Everyone on the table looked at Ash with wide eyes, unable to comprehend what he had just told them.

After several moments filled with silence, it was Cilan who was the first to speak up. "Wow. No wonder the bond between you and Pikachu is so strong..."

"Goddamn Ash... I don't think I know anyone else who has had such an intense start to their Pokémon Journey." Brock said with uttermost seriousness.

"And you haven't returned me that bike till this date Ash Ketchum!" Misty yelled at Ash, sudden memories of her beloved bike flashing in her mind. Although anyone hearing her could understand that she was speaking so to reduce the tension.

Ash grimaced. '_Damn. She still remembers that thing?'_ "Well Nurse Jo-" Ash was cut off as May joined the fray.

"Hold on. Ash ruined you bike too Misty?" May asked in a surprised tone.

'_Shit! May remembers? Hmm...of course she does, she guilt tripped me into letting her come along after all!' _Ash thought to himself while a few beads of sweat made their way on his face.

"My too? What do you me-" This time it was Misty who was cut by Dawn, whose eyes had widened in surprise.

"You two? Your Bike's were also ruined by Ash?" Dawn's voice rang out.

'_This is bad...! Although Dawn wasn't angry with me when she talked about it, so it's a bit OK.' _Ash thought in slight relief, at least he won't get much heat from Dawn!

"So all three of us had their bikes ruined by Ash?" Misty asked the two other girls, who got amused smiles on their faces.

"So how was your Bike ruined?" Misty asked.

"_PIKACHU!" _ Both of them said. All three girls began grinding their teeth at the memory of their bikes.

"Ash Ketch- huh? Where is he?" By this time Ash had truly noted the deep shit he was in and promptly escaped with his tail between his legs.

"Damn that guy! So has Ash returned either one of your bikes?" Dawn asked the other two girls, who shook their heads in anger.

"Mine was repaired by Nurse Joy, but the cheapskate didn't even pay for it!" Misty said as she punched her fist.

Delia had promptly made her way out in the time the girls were arguing. She had no desire to pay for three expensive Bikes. Brock had also gotten out, lest the girls turn their anger on him. After all, he was the one guy who had travelled with Ash for all the regions bar Unova. Cilan made a flimsy excuse of _tasting_ the night air and made his way out.

It was then that the three girls remembered their purple haired companion. "And what about you Iris? Did he ruin your bike too?" Dawn asked.

Iris grit her teeth in anger after remembering the day she first met Ash. "No! He somehow thought I was a Pokémon and attacked me with Pikachu!" She said in anger. But her answer shocked the three girls in silence, before they started laughing uncontrollably.

"HAHA! Looks like we all had our unique way of meeting Ash." Dawn said with a fond smile as she chuckled along with the other girls.

"Yeah. But that does not mean he can escape forever, he had to give our bikes back some way or the other!" May said with resolve, which was agreed by Misty. But not Dawn.

"Um...I kinda forgave him guys. He rescued me and the bike was toasted in that process, so it's alright if he doesn't return it, I don't mind." Dawn said with a smile. Not that she would ever force him to do such a thing.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten that the purple haired menace, Iris was still present on the table. "Wow Dawn, you instantly gain +10 points!" Iris exclaimed.

"Huh? Points for what?" It was May who asked.

"Why of course for the 'Who Likes Ash the Most!' competition!" Iris said brightly as her new friends sputtered, Misty nearly choked on the water she was drinking.

'_Maybe telling Iris wasn't such a good thing after all.'_ This was the collective thought of three other girls.

**XXX**

**POKESPEECH ACTIVATED**

"_You just had to do it." _Bulbasaur muttered as he looked at Blastoise. Charizard, Pikachu and Pidgeot stood nearby.

"_Huh? Had to do what?" _Blastoise tilted his head in confusion as he looked at his oldest friends.

"_No, you just had to go and fucking do it." _Bulbasaur muttered again.

_Now_ Blastoise looked at the others_. "Yo dudes, you gonna tell me what's up with Bulbasaur? He ain't one to curse." _It was true, for as long as anyone had known Bulbasaur, he had been a diplomatic and level headed person, he never cursed.

"_It's complicated man." _Pikachu explained half-heartedly as he rubbed his forehead. Pikachu really didn't understand how things escalated to such a shitty level so quick. It was just yesterday that he was getting so excited to gather all of his friends in one place, and now this happens. He really didn't want to relive the sad moments of yesterday.

"_What's complicated Pikachu? I have been confused by Bulbasaur's mood too. I have never seen him so down before. And you too Charizard, explain something. Heck, not even Muk and Kingler said anything!" _Pidgeot said incredulously as he looked at his best friends. What he had expected to be a peaceful and adventurous meeting with his old and new friends was turning into a not-so-fun affair very quickly.

"_All right, All right!" _Charizard growled out. He was getting annoyed by their constant nitpicking, but then again, being their oldest friends, they really had a right to know. He just wished Butterfree was here, the bug always explained everything patiently to anyone who asked.

"_Look, the matter is that Bulbasaur was dumped by his bitch of a girlfriend yesterday because her vagina got too large for Bulbasaur to fuck, and if that wasn't enough she then mind raped Bulbasaur to try to make him evolve and get his dick larger, happy!?"_As Charizard finished, Pikachu and Bulbasaur looked at him incredulously, while Blastoise and Pidgeot had a _**'What the Fucking Fuck?'**_ look on their faces.

"_What!? I'm saying as I saw it." _Charizard huffed as he turned away.

"_The fuck you talking about dude! Bulbasaur had a girlfriend?" _Blastoise yelled in shock.

"_Yeah, May's Bulbasaur." _Pikachu explained.

"_And her vagina got larger...so she evolved into a Venasaur?" _Pidgeot asked, being the most deductive of the five.

"_Yeah." _Pikachu said. The Five friends stood in silence as they mused over the words and facts they had come across.

"_But that still don't explain why Bulb's mad at me." _Blastoise said, which made the other's face-palm.

"_Urgh. Even after evolving you're just as moronic as ever. You moron, he and you were the ones who had decided not to evolve, remember." _Charizard said in exasperation.

"_Oh." _Was the only thing Blastoise said as he remembered the promise he made on a whim a long time ago.

"_Well, it's not really that bad Bulbasaur. You may feel a bit weird for some time after evolving, but eventually the better points overcome those." _Pidgeot tried to explain to Bulbasaur as best as could.

Bulbasaur took this in and looked at Blastoise, who stared back_. "It's you decision Bulbasaur. Evolving has it's perks and cons. You will become a bit slower, but then again, you will have much more power. But ultimately it's your decision, so think about it alright?" _Blastoise said as he put on his glasses and moved away. The new Krookodile interested him; both of them had similar style statements and were not afraid to show it.

Charizard and Pidgeot flew away, leaving Pikachu and Bulbasaur alone in the clearing.

"_So what about you Pikachu, what do you think?" _Bulbasaur pressed on to Pikachu, who shuffled nervously, knowing that his answer will carry a lot of weight.

"_First of all, you must understand that my and your situation is quite different Bulbasaur. I have actually evolved once, from a little Pichu. The amount of control and increase in amount of power that I got was simply immense, no doubt about it. And I also know that evolving into a Raichu will make me even more powerful, but that's not something bad, is it?"_

"_The reason I don't want to evolve is because of my battle style. I rely so much on speed and quick movements to defeat my opponents, that to evolve into a bulky Raichu will never really help me improve, rather it will cause me and Ash an unnecessary menace."_

"_While you Bulbasaur, on the other hand, still have your minuscule energy reserves. For you Bulbasaur, as much as it pains me to say it, it's really a matter of pride rather than practicality. Evolving into at least Ivysaur will help you much more than hamper you. But just as Blastoise said, it's you decision."_

Bulbasaur didn't say anything, just took in everything Pikachu said. Just as Pikachu started to move away, he turned around to finish.

"_I hope that you don't hate me for what I have told you Bulbasaur. And also know this... All of us, including Ash, will stand with you, no matter what decision you make. Remember the code Bulbasaur, __**'Bros before hoes'**__... always." _Pikachu said in a firm tone as he used Agility to vanish. Buneary and Glaceon seemed awfully excited to meet him, he wondered why.

Bulbasaur sat in the lonely place, his mind whirring in a hundred different directions. He never noticed the large figure sadly watching him from behind the trees.

**XXX**

**A/N:** The things which Iris said to the three girls...Well, let's just leave that to your imagination shall we?

I hope that you enjoyed the new chapter guys. Blastoise and Pidgeot are back and so will be a few of the others in the following chapters. Rest assured, they will be coming soon. **I will also appreciate it if you guys give me a few suggestions for what Pokémon Ash should catch. I will leave two of the Pokémon to you**. Just review your choices and tell me which Pokémon, and why?

I am really enjoying writing this story, more than I had thought I will. I hope that you guys also like the story and if not, please tell me why so that I can improve my writing skills.

Tango Charlie out.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Heeeeeeeereeeeeessss the new Chapter!**

**Also, I do not own Pokémon, but I am going to war for the ownership, support me, my loyal readers!**

**XXX**

"Buizel, use _Aqua jet_!" A raven haired boy, 16 years old, commanded as a predominantly Orange colored Otter Pokémon yelled in agreement. The said Pokémon was immediately covered in a layer of water as it shot towards its opponent like a bullet from a gun. The tails present on the back of Buizel rotated just as the propeller of a motor boat, enhancing the speed. Aqua Jet, just as Flare Blitz and Wild Charge, was not just a move effective against weaker types, its physical nature also allowed for more damage to be done even to the types resistant to water.

"Quick! Starmie, use _Thunderbolt_!" Misty's hair was in her usual style of a side ponytail which stuck out on the left side of her head. A dual 5 pointed star-shaped Pokémon stood in front of her. The second star present on the back of the Pokémon started spinning wildly as a paralyzing bolt of Thunder was launched towards its disadvantaged opponent.

Ash grinned. "That's not gonna work against us Misty! Buizel, show them your speed!" Ash yelled in encouragement as Buizel smirked, expertly dodging all of the thunderbolts launched without much effort. Starmie kept trying to use _Thunderbolt_, but in a matter of seconds the powerful _Aqua Jet _reached the panicking Pokémon.

Buizel's _Aqua Jet_ was much more streamlined and faster than a natural _Aqua Jet_, seeing as Buizel had made it his trademark move. He intended to train enough to make it strong enough to be a one hit KO.

"No Starmie, try to dodge!" Misty yelled desperately, but due to Starmie using _Thunderbolts_ in quick succession, its speed was nicked and the powerful Aqua jet hit full force. Due to Starmie being a predominantly Water Type, using _Thunderbolt_ caused itself a minor backlash, reducing its speed. While _Thunderbolt_ was a great asset to the Water Type, no good things come without sacrifices, and in this case, Starmie's reflexes and speed.

As the _Aqua Jet_ hit, Starmie was launched backward with a pained cry as it hit a nearby boulder. The gem present on its centre started blinking and then duly turned dull, showing that Starmie was effectively knocked out.

"Quil, QUI...LAVA!" Quilava raised one of its hands, signifying Ash's victory. It seemed that Quilava had really gotten into his role as a referee and insisted on refereeing the match even today, _politely_ telling Brock to back off.

"ALL RIGHT! Yeah Buizel, we did it!" Ash yelled in triumph as he hugged Buizel, the water type not losing his cool posture and smirking slightly. "Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu congratulated his friend, which was responded by a subtle thumbs up.

Misty sighed. "Starmie, return. You did well." Misty soothed her Pokémon as she returned it to her Pokeball for healing.

"Nice battle Ash, you have really improved. Buizel's Aqua Jet was very fast." Misty said with a smile as she walked over to Ash and Buizel.

"Aw, thanks Misty! But it was Buizel who did the hard work!" Ash said as Buizel nodded his head, as if to say '_Damn right.'_

"Congratulations Buizel." Misty said as she kneeled down to inspect the Water Type, who looked a bit puzzled. Ash however, had prior knowledge of Misty's hyper love for Water Types and promptly made his way out, leaving Buizel on his own. '_Sorry buddy, but I can't tolerate another of Misty's 'How great are Water Pokémon' speeches.' _

Pikachu looked down at his trainer. Leaving Buizel, a Water Type not found in Kanto, in the hands of Misty? Cruel.

"Nice battle Ash!" Dawn cheered as she saw the black haired boy.

"Thanks Dawn" Ash said earnestly as he saw his bluenette friend enter " Buizel's and mine partnership has been great, you know. But he still misses you sometimes." Ash said as he looked at Dawn, who was sitting on the soft grass with Piplup on her lap.

Dawn sighed. "I miss him too sometimes. But it was for the best Ash, Buizel liked to battle and you were perfect for him, so no need to worry!" She finished with her trademark catchphrase as she and Ash chuckled.

It was then that three more figures made their way out. Two of them were young teenage girls, while the lone male in the centre being supported by the two girls was a brown haired young man Ash knew very well. But the most surprising thing was that his clothes were singed along with his hair and face.

"Whoa, Brock what happened to you!?" Ash asked in alarm as he and Dawn rushed to check on their friend. Quilava ran over too along with Buizel.

"We don't know. Me and Iris were just coming down to watch your match when we found Brock behind the bushes in this condition." May said sadly as she and Iris laid Brock out.

"I wonder who could do such a thing to Brock." Ash thought. It was at that moment that Brock's eyes started ope-...well they twitched, and he sat up.

"Maaaannn...what happened to me?" Brock asked with a groan as he looked over his condition.

"We found you behind the bushes Brock, can you remember who did it to you?" Iris asked in concern.

'_Hmmm...the last thing I remember is agreeing to referee Ash and Misty's match. After that I was making my way towards the open fields when..._

_**FLASHBACKURU NO JUTSU!**_

_Brock hummed as he made his way towards the slightly less vegetated areas on Oak Corral, where Ash and Misty were having a training match. Ash had asked him to referee the match just as he had throughout their journeys for unofficial matches._

_But just as he was about to turn into the path leading to the area, a friendly voice cut him off. _

"_QUILAVA LAVA!" Quilava- Ash's- made his way to him, smiling brightly with the flames on his back lighting gently._

_Brock smiled as he kneeled to pet the Pokémon. "Hey Quilava, how's it going?" Brock asked as Quilava yipped happily in response. Brock and Quilava stayed like that for a few minutes, before Brock stood up._

"_I would like to stay Quilava, but I have a match to referee between Ash and Misty. You can come along if you like." Brock offered kindly, but what he got in return wasn't the usual smiling face of the cute Pokémon, but an angry sneer._

_Gulping, Brock moved a bit back. "Um...Quilava? What's the matter little guy?" he asked a bit nervously._

_Quilava merely looked towards where Misty and Ash were, and shook his head. Being a Pokémon Doctor and Breeder, Brock quickly understood what Quilava was trying to say._

"_Huh? You don't want me to referee the match?" At an affirmative nod he asked again. "But why?" Was Quilava jealous of not participating in the battle?_

_Quilava smirked as he pointed to himself "Lava Quilava!" _

_Brock looked stunned "Huh? You want to referee!?" Quilava nodded again._

_Brock couldn't take it anymore, he started laughing wildly. "AAHAHAHAHA! Nice joke Quilava, as if- AGGGGHGHHHHHHH!" His laughter was cut abruptly as a Flamethrower and Tackle hit him, knocking him unconscious._

_The last thing Brock saw was the smirking face of Quilava. 'Damn you...'_

_**PRESENT TIMARU NO JUTSU!**_

'_Damn...so that's what happened. Well I'll get back on the rodent!' _Just as Brock opened his mouth to rat out Quilava, he suddenly noticed the very same Pokémon standing a bit back from the group, such that no one but him could see him. Quilava had a scary look on his face as his Flames grew even larger.

The message was clear, '_**Squeal, and you will regret.**__'_

Brock gulped as he turned away to lie to the group.

**XXX**

_**Sometime later...**_

_ASH POV_

As I looked over my horde of Pokémon training in the same way as we had been from the last 4 days, my heart swelled with pride for them. Each and every one of them had been taking the Training seriously and the results were already showing up a little. It was even more admirable with the knowledge that many of them hadn't trained with such intensity for _years._

Glailie's aerial manoeuvrability had improved much, so he could now levitate at a higher speed for more time, as well as twist and turn better. Heracross still hadn't got the hang of flying as well as the natural Flying types, but it was a work in progress. He did try to ditch the group to suck on Bulbasaur's nonexistent sap, but it was otherwise all right. I had assigned Snivy on duty to keep Bulbasaur and Heracross from fighting, and she was doing a fantastic job!

Snorlax had tried to cheat his way through many times, but after freezing my heart and denying him food until he had trained as much as the others, the problem was taken care of. Although, the pained and betrayed expression on Snorlax's face would haunt me for days to come.

I had also realised quite a few things in these four days after seeing my Pokémon train and reading a few books on battle tactics present in Professor's Library. For example, it wouldn't have mattered for how long I had made Torterra run. It's speed would never have been quite enough to cause any Elite Level trainer any problem. Torterra was a Pokémon built like a tank, and weighed like one too, so at most his stamina was being improved. But at the loss of speed, Torterra gained an unnatural Defence, so much so that a _Steel wing _might not even affect him much! Such Defences could be used to lure many opponents into traps, where Torterra's close range moves could get them.

Even though my Torterra wasn't quite that strong yet, I had told many Pokémon to use Physical Attacks like _Iron Tail_, _Mach Punch_ and _Steel Wing_ on Torterra's body. I made sure the attacks weren't full powered, yet. The results surprised everyone, even Torterra. Most of the moves didn't even graze Torterra, although the fully powered ones still affected him.

The natural endurance of his body was unmatched for most Pokémon, so it gave me a basic idea about the matches where I could use Torterra.

Pidgeot, Staraptor, Swellow, Unfezant and Gliscor were having an Aerial Race around the large field, with Swellow in the lead, but the other three close behind. Gliscor didn't have as much speed as them, seeing as he relied on the wind to increase his speed, but still gave them a fair amount of competition. I somehow had the feeling that Pidgeot might be holding back. Professor Oak informed me that Staraptor and Swellow used to have many such races, with Noctowl and Gliscor occasionally joining, even en before I made it part of the training regime.

Blastoise had taken Dewott as a sort of apprentice. They were training together for making their water type moves more powerful. It was obvious since that area of the field was quite drenched and a tree had toppled over due to a powerful Hydro Pump by Blastoise. Croconaw was testing out his new jaws quite enthusiastically; the result was many crushed rocks and boulders. I could only thank my lucky stars that Garchomp had more or less given up on crunching and smashing things with his jaws after evolving, Professor Oak wouldn't have been very happy to see his ranch torn up by his powerful jaws.

Speaking of Garchomp, he, Charizard and Iris's Dragonite were up in the air, in a different location from the flying types, and were just enjoying their free time. Even though Dragonite was Iris's Pokémon, he had taken to training under me very nicely. Dragonites have always been regarded as powerful battlers, so it was nice for my Pokémon to train with him too. And unlike Charizard, Garchomp didn't have an ego, so he asked for help from Dragonite once in a while. Garchomp was a newly evolved Pokémon, while Dragonite was a Pokémon who evolved to its final state in the wild, so it was safe to say that Dragonite was quite experienced.

Also, Iris and my other friends were taking this time to just relax and socialize, while I was the only one training seriously.

But in all of this, one Pokémon worried me the most. He didn't give it his all in training, he didn't talk with the others much, he didn't even pay attention to Heracross when he tried to suck his Bulb.

And that was saying something alright.

I walked over to the small Grass type starter from Kanto. "Hey Bulbasaur, what's the matter?" I asked as I sat near Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur looked surprised, but nevertheless sat down near me, his sulking expression not leaving his face.

"So...what's the matter Bulbasaur?" I asked, hoping that I could understand what Bulbasaur might try to explain to me. It was frustrating sometimes to not understand what my Pokémon were trying to explain to me. Even though me and my Pokémon shared a very close bond, there was only so much we could communicate about with a language barrier.

Bulbasaur looked to the ground uneasily, internally debating what and how to tell his trainer, if at all. Eventually, Bulbasaur sighed and stood up. Satisfied that Ash's attention was on him, he used his Vines to first point towards himself and to May's Venasaur, who was resting a few ways back with Dawn's Mamoswine.

I watched with a frown as Bulbasaur pointed multiple times, first to himself and then May's Venasaur. "What about Venasaur?"

Bulbasaur sighed in exasperation. It was really annoying that they Pokémon could understand Human tongues somewhat, but Humans could not understand their language. Looking around the field briefly, his eyes fell on Croconaw. A figurative bulb lighting in his head, he dragged the newly evolved Pokémon with him towards Ash.

My brows scrunched up as I tried to understand the situation. Bulbasaur was now pointing towards himself, then Venasaur and then finally Croconaw.

"I think Bulbasaur is talking about evolution, Ash." Brock said as he came into view, apparently healed up from whatever happened to him.

I looked at Bulbasaur in confusion. Bulbasaur had the chance to evolve way back before I had even participated in the Indigo League, but had chosen not to, and I respected his decision. "Do you want to evolve Bulbasaur?" I asked.

Bulbasaur didn't say anything just shook his head in confusion. I picked up Bulbasaur and put him in my lap. "You don't need to evolve to become strong Bulbasaur. And you had decided to not evolve so long ago, remember? You are one my best Pokémon Bulbasaur, and it doesn't matter to me in the least whether you evolve or not." I said honestly to the little Grass type. It was true, I had never cared much whether my Pokémon evolved or not. Whenever they were ready and wanted to, they could. And if not, then that was fine with me too. Even though I want to be a Pokémon Master, it's not as I want to sacrifice my Pokémon's happiness for that. And besides, Pokémon could get strong without evolution, Pikachu was a great example for that.

But for some Pokémon, there wasn't a choice in it. In the case of Gible, it was a very big necessity. Just like the starting form of any of the Dragon Type Pokémon, Gible's body was built in a way that provided it many fundamental difficulties. Its hands being too short prevented much movement, and so evolving once to Gabite was very productive for him. There was a reason Dragon types battled so much in the wild, evolving was a necessity for survival in the wild and also to reach their true Dragon Potential.

Bulbasaur took it all in. Now that he knew for sure that Ash wouldn't be angry with him if he didn't evolve, much of the pressure was taken off. When Ash had announced to them that they will be facing many powerful trainers in one year, he had been worried over whether Ash may force him to evolve for power.

Bulbasaur mentally slapped himself, Ash wasn't one to think like that.

I looked at Bulbasaur, whose internal strife had somehow subsided, and gave him a bright smile. Bulbasaur mirrored my expression, before jumping off and running back to his designed training area, a new vigour in his steps.

"Do you really mean that Ash?" Brock asked he looked at his long time friend.

"Yeah, I do Brock. I have never forced my Pokémon to evolve, and I never will." I said with finality.

"But what about Garchomp, Ash? You saw how powerful he became after evolving, and since Bulbasaur's already so strong, just imagine the increase in power when he evolves into Ivysaur or Venasaur." Brock pressed on.

"But that was because Gible actually wanted to evolve Brock! If he didn't, I wouldn't have forced him." I said to Brock, who still didn't look convinced.

"What about the Champions League, Ash? Do you know how many trainers have been training for the last 10 years exclusively for that Championship? It's pretty safe to say their Pokémon will be at the peak of their power. And that's not even counting the Champions." Brock said. There was just something he wanted to know.

"Then me and my Pokémon will get stronger too." I said as I crossed my arms. "I won't get scared Brock. Even if we have to face Legendary Pokémon to win, we will. My Pokémon will become stronger the way they want, not the way everyone else says them to. I know about my Pokémon's strength and weaknesses, and I will work on them. But if Pokémon battles where just about evolution, why wouldn't someone just buy evolution stones of all types and get a fully evolved team? It won't work that way, that's why Brock. If Bulbasaur doesn't want to evolve, fine. We will train hard enough that he will not _need _to evolve." I said as Brock for some reason smiled slightly.

"That's what I wanted to hear Ash." Brock said as he clapped his hands on his friends shoulder.

"Huh?" What the hell was up with all that questioning then?

"Seeing you train so hard Ash, it felt to me that you were losing some of what made you into what you are today. I was afraid that in order to win the Champions league, you might take things to unwanted extremes. But now I am convinced that something like that won't happen." Brock said with a proud smile. Seeing Ash train so crazily in the past few days, both his Pokémon _and _his own body, Brock had been afraid that Ash might turn into a Paul II.

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "As if! I will never do something like that Brock. But that doesn't mean I won't give it my all tow in this championship. This is my one chance for 10 years to achieve my dream, and I won't give up so easily!" I said as me and Brock walked back to my other friends.

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind. "Brock, where is Cilan? I haven't seen him for a while?"

Brock stopped cold in his place. "Cilan, eh...it's best if you don't know Ash." He said rather seriously and moved on, while I watched on in confusion.

**XXX**

"So you think you're better than me huh!?" Cilan asked heatedly as he stirred another pot at whirlpool speeds.

"Mime Mime MR. MIME!" Mr Mime glared back as he hurriedly put on some onions in a dish he was preparing.

Delia Ketchum sweatdropped from her position near the door to the kitchen. '_It's just like how Brock was, after returning from Professor Ivy's place.' _After being depressed for some unknown reason, Brock had run away from Professor Ivy's lab and came to Pallet Town. He and Mimey had entered a rivalry of making food while recovering from his trauma.

It had been troublesome, to say the least, for Delia Ketchum.

**XXX**

Gary groaned as he walked out of the Laboratory in his casual clothes. The past few days had been very hectic. With all the information gathered from Ash and his Pokedex, much of the scientific community had been shaken up. The discovery of Arceus actually being a real Pokémon, the matter of Lugia breeding, a whole group of Genesect apparently friends with Ash roaming around in the wild, and actual presence of Zekrom and Reshiram, had made both the Oak's into _very_ busy men.

Giratina and the reverse world had already been documented by a scientist in Sinnoh and these discoveries were given legitimacy by Professor Oak. The Legendaries didn't seem as much of a myth now as much as a reality.

It was not as if he had not seen his fair share of Legendaries, battling Team Galactic in Sinnoh helped him observe at least one, Azelf, very closely. And although he had monitored the disturbances presumed to have been caused by Dialga and Palkia, he had not had the chance to meet them up close and personal like Ash had on multiple occasions.

The reason why both the Professor's believed Ash so readily was because of the information gathered from his various Pokedexes. Samuel Oak had designed the Pokedex in such a manner that the camera used for scanning Pokémon could also be used as a recorder. Specifically, recorder for the times when some especially rare Pokémon is scanned. Professor Oak had never taken data from Ash's Pokedex till now, a fact Gary took great pleasure in chastisizing his grandpa about, so he never saw the mini recordings of the Legends being scanned by Ash.

These discoveries were being kept highly classified as of now, with only the Pokémon League and the regional Professors knowing about them. If the press got wind of the information...

...well, let's just say Ash would have been a _veeeryyy busy_ man...for _a looong_ time.

His work load had increased by so much that he hadn't even had the time to socialize with the various hot girls Ash had befriended in the multiple regions! It was in times like these that he envied Ash for continuing as a Pokémon trainer. The thrill of adventure could never be replicated in his capacity as a researcher.

So with that thought in mind, Gary Oak, womanizer extraordinaire, made his way to the four conversing girls, standing conveniently in the middle of a field.

"Heya ladies." Gary said as he neared the group of 4, who turned around to see the new entry. Of the four, only Iris was the one completely stranger to him, the rest he had met briefly during the years they had travelled with Ash. He had to admit, Ash had a great taste in women. Each of the girls he had chosen to travel with was a complete babe.

"Hi Gary." Misty, May and Dawn greeted the brown haired boy. Misty's opinion of Gary had changed a lot since his personality change. While she had hated him before for constantly bullying and putting down Ash, Gary's defeat in the Indigo League had really changed him.

May and Dawn had only met the polite and researcher Gary, so they didn't have any conflicting thoughts about him.

"So you're Gary Oak huh?" Iris said as she stuck out a hand. She had heard about Gary in passing from Ash when he talked about his Charizard's past battles.

"And you must be Iris, nice to meet you." Gary said as he flicked his hair and shook her hands.

"So Gary, what have you been up to lately?" May asked. Since Ash and co. Arrived in Pallet, no one had seen Gary for much. He had been pretty much locked up in the lab.

Gary's good mood dampened a bit at the reminder. "Ah, don't remind me. The work has increased so much in the last few days that I haven't had much time to do anything." He said as he tiredly ran his hands through his hair.

The girls nodded, but did not comment on anything.

Sensing an awkward situation coming up, Gary quickly asked "So where's Ashy boy?"

Misty inclined her head "Well, after our practise battle in the morning, Ash went with his Pokémon to continue some training regime he has made up. So my best guess will be that he is still there."

"So training eh...Can't blame him, what with the Champions League coming up and all." Gary knew that Ash would be giving his all for the upcoming competition. "So what about you four?"

"What about us?" Dawn asked in confusion.

"Well...the Champions League is open to everyone this time, so are you four thinking of competing?" Gary asked. The Champions League was a very prestigious event, and with its new format this year, only a very stupid person will reject the chance to take part in it.

Iris, Dawn and May looked at each other with sheepish looks, they hadn't really thought this through. But Misty was Crystal Clear in her decision.

"Of course, as the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, it's my obligation to compete. And it would be a great stage to test out my capabilities against the best trainers." Misty said with vigour. '_Heck, I might get the chance to battle Wallace!' _The thought itself made Misty's excite-meter go wild. Wallace was widely known as the best Water Type Pokémon Trainer in the world. So for Misty, whose dream is to become a Water Type Master, facing and possibly defeating Wallace was the stuff of dreams.

"I don't really have a full team now, so I don't really know." Iris said honestly. She only had Excadrill, Dragonite, Emolga and Axew. That wasn't even six, and from what she had gathered about the competition, she would need two complete teams, if only due to the sheer number of battles.

May put her hand on Iris's shoulder in support. "Don't worry Iris, there is still a full year for you to catch more Pokémon." She said kindly. "And as for me, if I don't compete, Max and Dad won't let me hear the end of it, so I most probably will. And I think most of my rivals will too, so that makes it even _more _important for me to take part." May said as the thought about her rivals came into her mind.

"And not to mention, the Contests and Gyms have been closed for the entire year, so there isn't a choice, really." She added as an afterthought.

Everyone turned their heads towards the last girl, who looked at them in confusion.

"What?" Dawn asked blankly.

"Are you going to compete?" Gary asked.

Dawn flushed. "W-Well, I have not thought about it till now. Originally I was going to go to cheer for Ash, but I think I will take part too." '_Not to mention Kenny, Zoey and Ursula may compete too.'_

But Gary, being who he was, focused on the first part of her reply. "So...gonna cheer for Ash huh." He said with a sly grin, which was not taken notice of by the Bluenette.

"Of course! I cheered for Ash in the Sinnoh League and in his Gym Battles, so there's no way I'm _not_ gonna cheer for him at the Champions League!" Dawn exclaimed cheerfully.

May appeared a bit lost. "Wait a minute, what's so special about Dawn cheering Ash? We all cheered him on when we travelled with him." May asked. It was true, she, Max and Brock supported Ash in the Hoenn League and the Battle Frontier.

"Oh, so you didn't know? Dawn's cheering for Ash was a bit _special._" Gary said, making Misty, May and Iris even more confused.

"How so?" Misty asked.

"Dawn here apparently dressed up in a cheerleading attire along with her Buneary." Gary said as his eyebrows wiggled comically. The other three girls looked on in surprise towards Dawn who rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Well, I liked to dress up, that's all!" Dawn explained. The trio didn't really look convinced. The truth was, Dawn had heard about Gary's cheerleader from Ash. Apparently, this annoyed him. Dawn mistook it to Ash being jealous and thus donned her own Cheerleading outfit for him. It was just a thing she had done for Ash as a friend, romantic feelings hadn't developed back then.

And the first part was true too; dressing up was Dawn's favourite hobby before she started her journey. It was only due to her Mom that she hadn't left with a ridiculous bag full of clothes.

"You know Dawn, you might have just fulfilled one of Ashy Boys childhood fantasies." Gary commented lightly as the girls looked on in confusion. That had been happening a lot lately.

"When we had just left on our journeys, I had a group of cheerleaders with me. So it was safe to say that Ash was _very _jealous. So your becoming his personal cheerleader must have made him very happy." Gary explained further.

Iris looked at Dawn with a smile. "Wow Dawn! You are just gathering up points aren't you? That's another 10 for you!" Iris said. Now it was Gary's time to be confused.

"Huh? 10 points? For what?" Gary asked on in intrigue as May, Misty and Dawn's eyes widened in terror.

Iris didn't look worried in the least. "Why of course! For the 'Who-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence as the three girls pounced on her. Misty, May and Dawn's hands were on her mouth as muffled sounds came out.

"Oh just look at the time! We have to go to Mrs. Ketchum's house!" Misty exclaimed as she looked at Iris with a twitching eye.

"Heh-Heh, we are already late, let's hurry!" May exclaimed as she hoisted up iris.

"Nice meeting you Gary, but we gotta go now!" Dawn said with a nervous laugh as she pushed Gary away.

Gary Oak, one of the youngest and smartest researchers's of all time, watched on in confusion as Misty, May and Dawn ran away, with Iris being supported off the ground and her mouth still sealed up. He could have sworn a tint of blue started to appear in her dark skin

**XXX**

"What...was...that...for!" Iris asked with as much anger as she could muster as she took in huge gulps of air. Misty had sealed her mouth a little bit too tightly.

Misty looked at Iris with a serious glare. "That's what _we_ want to ask _you_, Iris! What the heck were you doing!?"

"You can't just give out our secret to anyone Iris! Don't you know how embarrassing could it be!?" May asked with a angry look.

"And Gary is like Ash's best friend! Can you even imagine if Ash comes to know all this!?" Dawn nearly screamed.

"Alright, Alright. I understand it. I won't tell anyone." Iris said as she attempted to calm down the furious girls.

"You don't understand Iris. It's not just something we can say every time in the open, you know!" May was still a bit angry.

Iris sighed. "Okay you guys. I get it, not a word to anyone. Okay?" She asked, making the three girls nod in affirmative.

"So...are you all up for some training? I think we have relaxed more than enough, and if we are to take part in the completion as well, then we need to be prepared too." Misty said as she walked out of the area and towards the pond, where most of her Pokémon were. Her match with Ash in the morning had fired her up; another practise match would be all right.

**XXX**

_Ash POV_

"Ready to be defeated once more Gary?" I taunted my oldest friend as he and I faced each other, Pokeballs in hand. Gary had come out of nowhere and challenged me to a battle. Being who I am, I couldn't possibly decline.

"Right back at'cha Ashy Boy." Gary's confident smirk was ever present on his face as he kissed his Pokeball before throwing it.

"Electivire, time for battle!" A yellow humanoid creature appeared, with black stripes covering most of its body and two tails swinging behind its back. Electivire gave a toothy grin as took a battle ready stance.

"Electivire huh. Well, I choose you Pikachu!" Pikachu enthusiastically jumped down from my shoulder, electricity sparkling from its cheeks. Electivire's _Motor Drive_ ability will make most of Pikachu's Electric Type moves useless, even counterproductive; I knew that much from battling with Paul. But there is more to Pikachu than just Electric type moves.

Plus, the bragging rights if I win against Gary with Pikachu are more than enough to give it a try.

"Pika!" Looked like Pikachu was hyped up too.

"Electric vs. Electric? Fine with us, Electivire start things off with a _Fire Punch_!" Gary commanded to his second strongest Pokémon.

Electivire wasted no time in following the order as its fist got covered in a fiery aura. Electivire charged towards Pikachu whose muscles tensed as it prepared to follow whatever Ash came up with.

"_Fire Punch."_ This was definitely a surprise. Gary must have been training all this while for Electivire to learn a Fire type move. But no need to worry "Pikachu, use _Agility_ to dodge!"

Electivire, despite being large, was no slouch himself. But when Pikachu altogether disappeared from his sight, he definitely was shocked. As was his trainer.

Gary's eyes widened, that was some scary speed from Pikachu right there. "Electivire, keep a look out for Pikachu!" He commanded hastily.

"Pikachu, now use _Agility_ continuously to hit Electivire!" I yelled from my corner. I have full belief in Pikachu's speed. He had been training with Sceptile after all.

"Chu!" Pikachu appeared from out of nowhere as he tried to his fellow Electric type in the gut. But Electivire was no rookie, and expertly dodged attack, grinning in the momentary victory. Not even resting for a second, he dodged a second and a third attack. Gary smirked '_Agility has been used three times now Ashy boy. What are you gonna do now?'_

"Electivire is as speedy as he is strong Ash, don't underes- WHAT THE!" Gary's voice rose as Electivire suddenly lurched forward, and then in many different directions as multiple cuts and bruises started appearing on his skin.

"Vire!" Electivire cried out in pain as a yellow blur hit him right under the jaw, knocking him back a few metres. Electivire landed on the ground with a loud cry of pain, enhanced by the brutal blow taken to its jaws.

"Pikachu's _Agility_ isn't just a onetime move Gary. Pikachu has trained enough with this move to make it a continuous attack type." I explained to my befuddled friend. Pikachu had been training in his speed non-stop for some reason from quite a few days. Not to say that his speed wasn't already very good, but he was close to becoming a speed demon like Sceptile. And because we knew that Pikachu's body wasn't naturally inclined for such speed, we had given focus to using Agility, a power consuming move, multiple times in succession. "Now follow up with _Iron Tail_ while he is fallen Pikachu." As soon as I said that, Pikachu jumped into the air with his tail turning completely white. _Iron tail_ had turned out to be the most versatile move Pikachu had ever learned, virtually effective against every type of Pokémon.

_Iron tail_ didn't actually turn the user's tail into Iron. Rather, it stretched and tightened the muscles of the Pokémon's tail to such an extent that it gave the effect of iron

While Electivire looked at the incoming_ Iron tail _in slight fear, Gary acted fast. "Electivire, use _Brick Break_ to counter!" In the matter of a few seconds, Electivire's fist turned into a golden aura, meeting Pikachu's _Iron tail_ with equal Power.

I growled to myself. _Brick break_ too? Just how much has Gary been training Electivire!? Still, Pikachu has been scot free, while Electivire has endured much damage from the multiple _Agilities._ "Pikachu, don't give up! Keep using more force!" I commanded Pikachu.

Gary grit his teeth. With Electivire being in a lying down condition, his _Brick Break's_ power was slightly reduced. Still, there was no way out for them in this situation. "Electivire, you don't give up too! Put more power into the _Brick Break_!"

Both Electivire and Pikachu gained intense looks on their face as they increased the power behind their respective Moves. Pikachu, being in the air, had more of an advantage. But Electivire, being a fully evolved Pokémon, had more raw strength behind his attack. With no Pokémon ready to give up, Electivire sunk into the ground beneath it a bit, the force of its own attack added with the power of Pikachu's Iron Tail, making its fist shake in frustration.

Electivire grit his teeth, before giving a brutal cry and pushing Pikachu off of it, shocking the living hell out of Ash.

"How did he do that! Pikachu had him pinned underneath him!" I shouted out in disbelief. By all means necessary, Pikachu should have won that battle of wits. He had all the advantages!

"Like I said, don't underestimate Electivire Ashy Boy. Being a fully evolved Pokémon, his attacks have more raw strength in them, although Pikachu wasn't half bad." Wasn't half bad? Ash's Pikachu might even be the strongest of its species after the amount of time he held off the _Iron Tail_ against _Brick Break_. But Gary wasn't about to say that on the outside.

"Now Electivire, use _Rock Smash_!" Gary commanded his next move as Electivire took advantage of its strong physical build and started chucking multiple boulders to a panicking Pikachu. Rock Smash wasn't a move every Pokémon could learn, but for Pokémon with large builds and strong hands like Electivire, they could easily learn it with rigorous training.

Pikachu, being a small Pokémon, was quite intimidated by the continuous barrage of rocks coming its way.

I wasn't perturbed in the least. "Pikachu, no need to fret, use _Counter Shield_!" I said, smirking at Gary's confused expression.

"Counter what!?" Gary's confused voice came out. He was then left speechless as Pikachu lay on its back and started spinning, while launching _Thunderbolts_. While a singular _Thunderbolt_ could be launched at a fixed point without fail, Pikachu's spinning while using _Thunderbolt_ gave the attack a whole new meaning. The _Thunderbolts_ appeared to be launching wildly all over the place, but still had a certain amount of coordination among them as Electivire's _Rock Smash_ was neutralised without taking any damage. Electivire's widened eyes and slightly jarred mouth told all it could to anyone observing.

Seeing Gary's gaping mouth gave me an odd amount of satisfaction_. Counter Shield_ was a move I and Pikachu had developed while journeying Sinnoh. Since Pikachu couldn't use _Agility _to dodge every attack thrown on it, and neither could it learn some super effective defensive move like _Light Screen_, _Counter Shield_ was our original move which provided the same advantages.

The move was strong enough to neutralise a fully lunched _Flamethrower_ attack for God's sake!

Gary stood speechless for a few seconds before regaining his bearings. "Ashy boy, colour me impressed." He praised genuinely. Whatever the move Ash had devised was simply brilliant; there was no two ways around it. It was kind of an ultimate defence for Pikachu, and for any else Pokémon who could devise it. "Do any more of your Pokémon know the move Ash?" Gary asked warily.

I smirked "Well that would be telling now, wouldn't it Gary?" Gary's scowl and angry mutterings were music to my ears.

Gary was unperturbed. He still had a battle to win after all. "No matter Electivire, jump up and use _Giga Impact_!" Gary commanded confidently as Electivire jumped high up in the air, belying its large stature, and got covered in a golden aura.

_Giga Impact_ huh? Seeing Gliscor perform that move had shown me more than enough what it could do. No matter, we have a perfect counter for it. "Pikachu, use _Electro Iron Ball_!" Another one of our original moves. Well, not really original, but I hadn't seen anyone else do it till now.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu gave an enthusiastic cry as it got on all fours. In a matter of a few seconds, Pikachu's tail was covered in a silvery white aura, showing that _Iron Tail _was now active. And then a Ball, made of pure Electricity was created hovering a few inches above it. The _Iron Tail_ itself was sparkling, showing the integration of Electricity into it, increasing its power tenfold.

"Grr. Don't worry Electivire, _Giga Impact_ full power!" Gary yelled as Electivire gave a brutal war cry while descending at rapid speeds towards Pikachu. Jumping high in the air provided an immense power up to _Giga Impact_ when used by non Flying Types. While Flying Type Pokémon could come from even greater heights, they could never use _Giga Impact_ at its full potential due to the possible backlash. While it was true that they could descend from greater heights with greater speeds, there was always the possibility that the opponent may dodge, thus making the attacking Pokémon KO itself. But for Land dwelling Pokémon like Electivire, they were not so much in danger due to the simple fact of possessing legs, helping them regain some bearing.

"VIRE!" "CHU!" Both Pokémon gave high pitched yells as they collided, Pikachu's _Electrified Iron Tail_ with Electivire's superman-ified body. 5'11", 300 pound monster colliding with a yellow mouse. Who could possibly win?

Well the answer was clear.

Just as the two high level attacks collided, a large Explosion was created, engulfing the two Pokémon. Both the Trainers cried the names of their respective Pokémon, worried for their safety. Just as the cloud was dissipating, two thuds were heard, one noticeably louder than the other. When the dust cloud shifted, Pikachu was shown, down on one knee and breathing harshly, with the cuts and bruises present on its body showing that it had not come unscathed from the collision.

While Electivire on the other hand was clearly knocked out, its eyes reduced to swirls and tails flayed out on the ground. Experiencing much more damage during the cource of the battle had obviously disadvantaged Electivire in the final attack, leading to his loss and Pikachu's victory.

"Electivire, return." Gary returned his Pokémon, muttering words of praise and support as he made his way to his oldest rival, who was enthusiastically celebrating with Pikachu. Gary shook his head with a smile, no matter what changed in the Pokémon world and their lives; he could always depend on Ash to stay the same as eve-

No. The thought gave him pause. '_Ash isn't the same as before. No. He is much more focused during the battles and he no longer makes the same silly mistakes as before. Well, this is a change that we could do with.'_

Obviously, he could never say something so encouraging on the outside, could he? "Look at you Ashy Boy, winner of the Unova League, top ranker in so many regional championships, winner of the Battle Frontier and the Orange League, celebrating so hard at beating a poor old researcher like me. Shame on you Ashy Boy." Gary said as he shook his head in disappointment.

As expected, Ash blew up in anger and embarrassment. '_Ah, now it is the same as before.'_ Gary thought in satisfaction.

**XXX**

**A/N: **Well, that's it for this time friends! I am really sorry for the bit short chapter, but I promise that the next one will be larger and better. But that will be only if you all keep showing me your support in the form of Likes, Favourites and Reviews of course! Really guys, I don't want to ask for reviews, but that is the real thing which motivates us writers to write our shit! I will really appreciate it if you all took the one minute of your day to review your thoughts on my story!

Thank you in advance.

And one more thing, What do you guys want me to do? Should I end the _Home Arc_ in the next chapter and begin the _Travelling Arc_? But beware that that will reduce the Shipping portions. Or should I continue it for a couple more Chapters? Also, the suggestions for the Pokémon were extremely helpful, thanks for them; I will definitely be using some.

One question. Should I use Haxorus?


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yo, sorry for the delay people. But here it is, the new chapter of my very own rendition of the Pokémon World, **_**To be the best, like there no one ever was.**_

**Yup it's a long title, if ya got any suggestions for a one word name, PM it to me.**

**I hope you enjoy reading the chapter!**

**XXX**

_**Ash POV**_

I stretched my limbs a little. My morning jog had just completed, along with my Pokémon's, and I was all ready to train.

"Sceptile! You're up buddy!" Our training had been going on very well, and today I had decided to train with Sceptile. Being one of my strongest Pokémon didn't mean that he had to train any less than the others. Rather, it put much more pressure on him to perform a step above everyone else.

"Scep Sceptile!" Sceptile obviously was fired up.

"Charizard, Garchomp, I need you two to help Sceptile." I yelled over to the two hand to hand sparring Monsters. Because I couldn't put personal attention to all of my Pokémon every day, I had designed a training programme for each one of them, where they alternated training partners everyday to correct their own weaknesses as well as help others.

Both the Pokémon nodded, but looked towards their trainer as to _how _exactly they had to help.

"Both of you will pick up a few large rocks and fly high up in the air. Then I want you two to throw them at Sceptile, who rather than dodge, will try to cut down the rocks." I explained further. I was rather concerned by the evil grins on the face of Charizard and Garchomp, but played it off as something else.

Charizard and Garchomp got up to their work, making Boldore create a large number of appropriately sized boulders. Boldore did its job very well; being a Rock type Pokémon had its advantages in certain matters.

Picking up the maximum amount of rocks they could in their hands, Charizard and Garchomp took off into the sky. Reaching a height of about 60 ft, they finally stopped, giving a thumbs up.

I looked towards Sceptile, who looked a bit nervous at the prospect of having to cut down speeding boulders from the sky.

"Don't worry Sceptile, I have full belief in you. Just use your _Leaf Blad_e properly along with your natural speed, and you'll be done in no time at all!" My encouragement seemed to have done its work, as Sceptile looked reassured and his confident demeanour returned.

"Alright Garchomp! Charizard! Begin!" Just as I yelled that, a barrage of stones started coming at high speeds towards Sceptile. No more looking worried, the elongated Blades present on the hands of Sceptile started glowing. Sceptile jumped high into the air, its strong thigh and calf muscles allowing it to perform such a task without much effort.

The _Leaf Blade_ cut through the Rocks like a Knife cuts butter, the multitude of Boulders turning into halves or quarters, depending on how Sceptile used both of his Blades. While _Leaf Blade_ had originally been discovered to be a high speed cutting move, members of the Sceptile family had been able to use it with much more flexibility, with much thanks to their natural build.

Just like the Thrusters present on the head of Gible, Gabite and Garchomp, which are more often than not mistaken for ears; the tails of Sceptiles are similarly used for increasing their speed. While on the outside it may look like something of a disadvantage for Sceptile against Fire Types, in reality the Tails were the main factor of Sceptile's battle prowess.

And here, Sceptile used its tail to help it Float in the air for a short duration of time. This also helped Sceptile in case it fell from a high point; its falling momentum so far reduced by the time it reached the ground, it's barely even hurt. Sceptile also used its rarely needed Vines to grab onto some of the especially larger ones to maintain his momentum.

With Sceptile using its mini jumps generated from the force of cutting down the boulders along with its tail to keep into the sky; I decided to make things a bit harder for him. Even Charizard and Garchomp looked a bit frustrated at the ease with which Sceptile cut down their attacks.

"Boldore, use _Rock Slide_ on Sceptile!" I commanded to Boldore, who looked a bit startled at the sudden command, but followed nonetheless.

"Booolll" Boldore hummed as it raised its front legs a little. Boldore's eyes started glowing a bit as huge rocks appeared in the sky, a bit below Garchomp and Charizard, who looked similarly surprised at the sudden attack. Rock type Pokémon had the potential to control their namesakes, the Rocks, with unlimited possibility. Unfortunately, apart from legendaries like Regirock, no other Pokémon had been successful in honing its talent to that extent.

The aforementioned Slabs were considerably larger than the ones Charizard and Garchomp were throwing at Sceptile.

With the huge slabs appearing a bit above it, Sceptile's smug demeanour immediately vanished. Only a single _Leaf Blade_ glowed this time, the power of two present in it. The multitude of Rocks hovered in the sky, controlled by Boldore, as a single one shot towards Sceptile. With a loud cry, Sceptile's _Leaf Blade_ met the huge slab with a band. Just as the _Leaf Blade_ touched the hardened rock, a small explosion occurred at the site of contact, with the _Leaf Blade_ cutting through rest of the rocks with a drill like sound.

"TILE!" Sceptile gave a loud cry of its name as the high powered attack finally cut through the first rock. The two halves fell from the sky with a loud _boom_ sound; making quite a number of Pidgeys and Spearows residing in the Oak ranch fly away.

Sceptile landed on the ground, panting hard with sweat glistening on its entire body. While it wouldn't have any problem in countering the attack by dodging; cutting it down while in the sky was an entirely different matter. "Don't rest yet Sceptile, there are three more two go!" I warned Sceptile, who nodded resolutely.

While none of the Pokémon were conditioned for training of this kind of magnitude, all of them did realize that the upcoming tournament was probably the single most important one of their entire lives. Each and every Pokémon of the world was naturally inclined for battle, and thus wanted to become the strongest of their species, or rather Sub-species. Even Snorlax, who never took training seriously, knew that he wasn't nearly as unbeatable as he thought himself to be, and thus trained with as much vigour as it could muster.

Which in all honesty, wasn't that much.

Sceptile glared towards the remaining three boulders. While he was tired from the unorthodox training session, he was nowhere near giving up. Taking a determined stance as it looked towards the rapidly approaching second boulder, his single _Leaf blade_ glowed once more. Knowing that he was done for if he waited for the boulder to come near the ground, I decided to help him a bit. "Sceptile, use your Leaf Storm to slow down the boulder a little, and then cut it down!"

Sceptile's eyes widened a little at the excellent strategy, but it wasted no time in doing so. The leaves present on Sceptile's Palm tree shaped tail bristled a little as a multitude of leaves appeared, spinning at high speeds. The Leaf Storm had a greenish tint to it as it met the fast descending slab of rock, immediately slowing it down to a quarter of its previous speed. Sceptile's Leaf Blade glowed as he jumped into the sky, landing on the slowed down boulder, still being engulfed by the Leaf Storm.

Sceptile gave loud cry as he drove the _Leaf Blade_ into the middle of the Boulder's top. The Leaf Blade cut a bit into it, but refused to go inside a bit more. Sceptile grunted as he increased his efforts tenfold, finally succeeding in cutting into the boulder. Just as the _Leaf Blade_ cut through, the Rock was engulfed in a white stream of light, the added pressure of Sceptile using its legs to push down on it finally taking its toll. The rock exploded, engulfing Sceptile into the resulting smoke.

"Oh no! Sceptile!" I cried out in worry. Did I push too hard? Was Sceptile not ready for such high intensity training? I could only hope that he wasn't severely injured.

But it seemed my worries were unfounded, as a relatively unharmed Sceptile emerged from the cloud, landing gracefully onto the ground. The hundreds of pieces of broken down shards of the _Rock Slide_ fell around Sceptile.

Since the rocks were still engulfed in the green glow of the Leaf Storm, it made for a very beautiful sight, dare I say Contest qualification level?

"Alright! You did it Sceptile!" I congratulated my large Grass type, who merely smirked, the twig in its still unchanged from its position. I think cutting down the two rocks are more than enough for Sceptile "Boldore, stop the move. Training's ov-" I was not allowed to finish as Sceptile growled, sending an annoyed glare towards me.

So Sceptile still wants to keep going on huh? Well, it's his decision. "Very well, Boldore! Use both of the rocks together!" I yelled. Sceptile's eyes widened, and the twig from his mouth nearly fell.

'_You utter asshole.'_ Such were Sceptile's thoughts towards his dear trainer, not that he knew.

"BOOOOLLLL!" Boldore looked inordinately pleased as it sent both the rocks towards Sceptile, who panicked over what to do. I wasn't much worried since if bad came to worse; Sceptile could always use its speed to dodge. But what I wanted to see was just how Sceptile reacts.

Sceptile's mind race a mile through a minute. His asshole trainer had put him in a fudged up situation, one where his _Leaf Blade_ wasn't nearly as helpful as before. So with a panicked mind and adrenalin fuelled body, Sceptile jumped for the third time this morning. The Jungle Pokémon raised both of its hands in a movement similar to _Leaf blade_. With both the rocks in front of it, and no way to truly escape, Sceptile gave a loud battle cry as it crossed both of its hands in front of himself.

However, instead of the usual green coloured glow of _Leaf Blade_, the two Blades _melded _together into one, getting a silvery white hue. Sceptile then moved its hands rapidly, sending a X-shaped attacked towards the two boulders. The attack met the speedy monster rocks with a loud crack, and just as it did, a huge explosion occurred. But rather than smash the boulders to pieces, the X attack _cut _through them with ease, allowing Sceptile to pass the eight falling pieces with an extremely cool look.

"_X-Scissors." _I breathed in awe. Sceptile had just learned a bug type move, giving it a potential advantage against the type it was weak against. The surrounding Pokémon were all in a similar state, Charizard and Garchomp having landed a while back ad observing the training session, and Boldore looking stunned at the ease with which its attack was cut down.

While Bug type wasn't advantageous against Rock types, rather it was a normally damaging one, Sceptile's attack was just _that powerfull!_ A normal _X-scissor_ wouldn't have nearly that much ease in cutting down a boulder that size, much less two. Leavanny hadn't been able to while I had trained with her against Boldore, so why it was that Sceptile's attack was so much more powerfull?

Pushing the question to a corner of my mind, I quickly made my way towards the laying down form of Sceptile, panting hard from the exertions.

"Good Job Sceptile! You learned _X-Scissors_!" I congratulated my large Grass type, who eyes widened a bit. Did he not know that he had learned an all new move?

"And Boldore, your _Rock Slide_ has become a lot better buddy!" Boldore had had difficulty in maintaining the attack, but today he had managed to perform admirably well.

"Booollldore." Boldore hummed in happiness at the praise. Since Boldore did not have a visible mouth, its voice always came out as muffled, or as a hum. I wonder how he managed to communicate with the other Pokémon.

Just as I was about to make my Pokémon go on another stamina increasing run, an incredibly angry voice cut through the air.

"ASH KETCHUM! GET YOUR ASS INTO THE LAB _RIGHT NOW!"_

I cringed. Just why the heck was Professor Oak sounding so angry right now?

**XXX**

"Why do you do this to me Ash? Did I ever not treat you right? Did I not let you play with my Pokémon when you were younger? Did I not treat to an Ice Cream _every time_ your mother was out of town?" Professor Oak wailed as he clutched a frantic looking Ash's shoulder. Although Professor oak's sobbing didn't feel sad, rather it was ...happy?

"W-What h-happened Professor Oak? Ash asked in utter bewilderment. Pikachu also looked pretty confused as it sat on the shoulder of Ash.

"Look." Professor Oak commanded in a deathly calm voice, which frankly scared Ash as he pointed towards a computer.

'_Huh? So much money?' _Ash thought as he looked towards the screen, which very clearly showed-

_**Untouched Amount: 2,663,000$  
Note: This is the first time the user has accessed his accounts, we wish you a happy spending!  
Regards: Poke-infrastructures Bank**_

"Why are you showing me this Professor?" Ash asked in confusion as he looked towards the incredulous looking Professor.

"You mean you don't know!?" Professor Oak nearly shouted.

"What?" Ash asked, now irritated by the vague manner in which Oak was talking.

"Its your, my boy! That money has been won by you over the course of your Pokémon journey!" Oak said as he looked towards the shocked looking boy.

"M-MY?...B-But ...how? When?" Ash was in a state commonly known as, utterly friggin shocked. Pikachu was close to fainting. While he did not properly know the various currencies of the world, even he knew that that many numbers were a pretty big fucking amount.

"I'll show you, my boy. Look." Oak said as he clicked with the mouse over a few buttons on the screen.

**XXX**

**Welcome to the official site of Poke-Infrastructures Bank!**

"_**Name: Ash Ketchum.  
Profession: Pokémon Trainer/ Co-ordinator  
Age: 16 years  
Total Account Balance: 2,663,000$**_

_**Years Active: 2007-2013**_

_**Transactions: **_

_**Pokémon League Accountancy:**_

_**Kanto Pokémon League Accounts: 100,000$ (Top 16 in the Indigo League)  
Johto Pokémon League Accounts: 150,000$ (Top 8)  
Hoenn Pokémon League Accounts: 150,000$ (Top 8)  
Sinnoh Pokémon League Accounts: 250,000$ (Top 4)  
Unova Pokémon League Accounts: 500,000$ (Winner)**_

_**Regional Bank Transactions:**_

_**P1 Grand Prix: 50,000$ (champion)  
Pokémon Swap Meet Tauros Battling Competition: 10,000$(winner)  
Bug-Catching Contest: 10,000$ (champion)  
Grass Tournament: 10,000$ (runner-up) (-2000$ Competition Fee)  
Sumo Conference: 5,000$ (champion)  
Pokémon Balloon Race: 5,000$ (champion)  
Whirl Cup: 20,000$ (top 32)  
Extreme Pokémon: 20,000$ (champion)  
Tour de Alto Mare: (-2,000) (DNF)  
PokéRinger- Town 20,000$(champion) 2. Squallville 20,000$(champion)  
Rota Tournament: 20,000$(champion)  
Pokémon cosplay contest: 8,000$ (runner-up)  
Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition: 40,000$ (champion - with Paul)  
Pokémon Summer Academy Triathlon: 20,000$ (Winner) (-5,000$ Participation fee)  
Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament: 5,000$ (top 32) (-500$ Participation)  
Twinleaf Festival Battle Tournament: 20,000$ (winner)  
Pokéathlon: 10,000$ (runner-up)  
Club Battle: 10,000$ (runner-up)  
Wishing Bell Festival: 5,000$ (runner-up)  
Clubsplosion: 50,000$ (top 4)  
Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup: 100,000$ (runner-up)  
Marine Cup Tournament: 80,000$ (winner)  
Scalchop King Competition: -10,000$ (disqualified)  
Grand Harvest Festival Pokémon Sumo Tournament: 30,000$ (winner)**_

_**Pokémon Contests: National Contest League Bank Transactions:**_

_**Terracotta Contest: 50,000$ (Winner)  
Jubilife Contest: 50,000$ (top 8)  
Wallace Cup: 100,000$ (top 8)**_

_**Regional League Transactions:**_

_**Orange Archipelago Bank: 250,000$ (Regional Pokémon League Winner)  
Kanto Battle Frontier Accounts: 500,000$ (Winner)**_

_**Note: Mr. Ash Ketchum has never transacted any money from his Accounts, rather all of the out ward payments have been made from the connected account of Mrs. Delia Ketchum, ID: 2342535661. Due to successive In-Transactions into the account, it has remained active.**_

_**Thank you."**_

**XXX**

"Holy Shit." Was the only thing that could come out of Ash's mouth right now.

"Pikachu pi."

"Yes Ash. Holy Shit." Professor Oak repeated.

"I seriously earned money for competing in those tournaments!? Was that why they put my Pokedex in a small machine after the tournaments?" Ash asked, still stunned from the sudden events.

"_Why did I let such an ill-informed trainer go on a nationwide journey?"_ Professor Oak questioned to himself.

Ignoring the indignant squawk from Ash he continued "Yes Ash, all those tournaments cost money to take part in, and give monetary reward in the case of a successful position." He explained.

"But why didn't anyone ever explained me such things!? I never even paid for all the food my Pokémon ate! And my Pokeballs were bought by mom! I could have easily paid for all that!" Ash shouted in disbelief.

"Easily paid? More like feed 100 Snorlaxes without any worry." Samuel oak grumbled. "Just look at the people who have travelled with you Ash. When you were 10 years old, you travelled with Misty and Brock, both of whom came from well off families and were paid by the League. Brock then travelled with you to all of the other regions. He bought and made the food for your Pokémon, you just never questioned it. May is the daughter of the Petalbourg Gym leader, Dawn in the daughter of a successful co-ordinator. When you were in Unova, Cilan took care of all of these expenses, being a Gym Leader himself. Iris is a relative of Drayden." Professor Oak said as he listed all of Ash's travelling companions. Ash's eyes widened in revelation.

"So that means..." He trailed off.

"They were the ones who paid for everything. And the money for the competitions came from my Mom's account!" Ash finally understood. But he was still confused about one thing. "But why didn't they ever tell me Professor? They didn't need to have paid for my expenses?"

"They are your good friends Ash, they simply never felt the need. I hope that you have learned your lesson from this Ash." At Ash's inquisitive look he continued. "Till now, you have been very immature Ash. But now, as you have told me, you are going on a journey alone. So you must take responsibility for such things. I know that you are an excellent Pokémon trainer Ash, but you have to understand the seriousness of the other things as well. Your friends may not travel with you on every journey of your, you must become self reliant." Samuel Oak explained gently tot eh 16 year old boy standing in front of him. He liked the boy, he really did. Since he knew Ash from the very moment he had first opened his eyes to the world, he was almost as a second grandson to him.

But regardless, he knew that Ash needed to open his eyes to the seriousness of the world soon. No longer can he allow him to continue in the way he had been before. It was for the good of Ash.

"I...understand Professor." Ash said in a soft tone. "Heh. Seems like I owe my friends more than I realized, huh Professor?" Ash asked rhetorically with a light laugh.

"HAHA Certainly, my boy. You are extremely lucky to have such a nice group of people to call your friends. Kinda reminds me of my own old pals." Professor Oak said as memories of a Blonde haired teenage girl and Brown haired youth came to his mind.

"Your friends? Who were they Professor Oak?" Ash asked curiously.

Samuel's eyes widened as he realized what he had blurted out. "Aah, don't worry about that Ash, just an old man's rambling. I had also called you for something else." Professor Oak said, quickly changing the subject.

"And what's that?"

"Your XtremeDex is all ready to go Ash! It's first charging is complete, and now it's battery has successfully become self sustaining. Of course, in the continued absence of more than one week of sunlight or Manual Electric Charging will bring it down, but that's inconsequential." Professor Oak said as he left the room to get Ash's new and improved Pokedex, or XtremeDex as he liked to call it.

'_The XtremeDex huh? I had forgotten all about that thing. Somehow I am getting the feeling that i should not take it...but then again, Professor Oak said that I am the first person to get the honour of receiving such a high level device...meh, I'll see what happens.' _Ash thought as Professor Oak re-entered with the familiar Wrist Watch shaped device in hand.

"I have already set up the time and date on it, so you don't need to worry about that Ash. Now, if you will allow me, I'll also connect your Bank Account with your XtremeDex, so that you can now pay with your _own_ money, okay?" Oak said with a pointed look, making Ash chuckle nervously.

"Yeah, alright Professor. But one question that I do have is that the Pokedex fully updated or not?" Till now, Ash had taken the regional Pokedex of each region to wherever he had started his new journey. Now that he was going to travel to all of his previously visited places, having a better and vaster Pokedex would be nice. None of the fancy enhancements mattered to him if the basic purpose of the Pokedex was not fulfilled.

The Professor looked at Ash as if he had asked some extremely stupid question. "Of course! What do you take me for, my boy! This XtremeDex has the National Pokedex onto it, with the updated data taken from the information gathered from your various Pokedexes." He said as he finished connecting the Pokedex to the Bank Website.

Since Oak was an extremely trusted and basically a father figure to Delia, she had not even thought twice before handling the control of Ash's Bank Account till he grew old enough to properly control it. Being 16 years old, no time was better than now.

"_Downloading Data...1 minute till Downloading Finishes...59 seconds, 58,57,56..." _Dexter's mechanical voice spoke up as the synchronisation was in full speed.

"Wow, its fast. I might not know too much about computers, but something like that should take at least 5 minutes." Ash commented, impressed by the speed of the XtremeDex.

Professor oak was about to launch into another tirade over how the XtremeDex was the best in everything before the device itself came to its own rescue. "Sir, it would be better if you don't undermine my capabilities. I am Dexter, and I am God of computers." Dexter said in monotone voice, with an underlying hint of anger.

'_Damn, it's got a god complex like Mewtwo.'_ Yup the decision wasn't looking all that good to Ash now. "Uhm...it wasn't my intention to...err.. undermine your capabilities, Dexter. I was just amazed, that's all." Ash's explanation was only met by a snarky 'Humph' from the semi sentient computer.

"Professor, is it too late to ask for my old Pokedex..." Ash looked towards the old Professor with pleading eyes.

"Yes it is Ash. But don't worry, apart from a few moments Dexter is completely reliable. While it can make a few distasteful comments once in a while, it will ever act on its own or do something with malicious intent."

Ash nodded at that. After strapping the new and improved Pokedex to his wrist, Ash found it to be really comfortable and handy. While before he had to fish for the Pokedex in one of the many pockets on his attire, now getting information became much more easier for him.

"Alrighty then, let's check it out! Pikachu, stand over there buddy." Ash said to his long time friend, who had been curiously looking over the various happening till now.

"Pika!" Pikachu obeyed in an instant and went over to stand on the nearby table.

Ash then pointed over Dexter to Pikachu, and boy was he shocked by the amount of information appearing on the screen, moreover he didn't need to even look at those, since Dexter said them aloud itself.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #25: Pikachu**_

**This Pokémon has electricity-storing pouches on its cheeks. These appear to become electrically charged during the night while Pikachu sleeps. It occasionally discharges electricity when it is dozy after waking up. It is a highly intelligent Pokémon.**

**This Pikachu has the **_**Ability: Lightning Rod**_

**This Pikachu knows the moves: **_**Thunder Shock, Thunderbolt, Volt Tackle, Electro Ball, Double Edge, Iron Tail, Agility, Quick Attack, and Tackle.**__**"**_

"Wow! That's a lot of information. How did it tell the moves of Pikachu, Professor Oak?"

"My boy, are you forgetting that this is my greatest Pokedex yet?" The Professor asked in a haughty tone, getting an amused smile from Ash. "The XtremeDex can tell the moves and the Ability, whether activated or not, of every Pokémon. Although it will not tell you the moves of any of the Pokémon not belonging to you, it will tell you their ability." He explained further.

Ash however, was rather confused by the last part. "Hold on, but why won't I be able to see the moves of my opponents and the wild Pokémon?" That would have been a pretty big advantage.

"That's something imposed on me by the League Ash. If you could know the moves of every Pokémon that your own is facing; it would be a pretty big disadvantage to the other party. Besides, I don't think you would want things to get a bit _too easy _for you, now would you?" Professor Oak asked with a challenging look.

Ash smirked. "Not on your life Professor. And besides I don't _need _advantages like that anyway. My Pokémon don't need any of the fancy technology; we will get stronger the old fashioned way!" Ash said as he pumped a fist into the air, the action being mimicked with equal vigour by Pikachu.

Samuel Oak just laughed amusedly at the actions of the raven haired trainer.

**XXX**

**Three Days later**

_**Ash POV**_

_*BEEP BEEP* _"Time to wake up Sir." _*BEEP BEEP* _Dexter's Robotic voice rang up in the medium sized tent, for the fifteenth time in as many minutes.

Finally, as the beeping got too much for me, I blearily opened my eyes. Turning around to press the red button the Dexter's side, I muttered thanks to the advanced Pokedex. Pikachu wasn't around me, so he must have gone outside to stretch or something. Professor oak had warned Pikachu in a no nonsense tone to never shock me while I was wearing the XtremeDex, saying that doing so might damage the XtremeDex beyond repair.

And I had to agree with Pikachu that a _serious _Professor Oak... was a _scary _Professor Oak.

I stretched my limbs as I got out of my makeshift camp. It had been three days since I had received the XtremeDex from Professor Oak; I gotta say that it had been pretty helpful in my journey till now. A day after the one Sceptile learned _X-Scissors_; I left on my journey to reach the city of Saffron, where one of my oldest friends resided. The Pokémon I was out to get could have been a potentially lifesaving member of my Kanto Team, but it had better served its purpose there.

That was not to say that I hadn't met with it over the course of these many years. Saffron was always one of the cities I the way whenever I returned from my interregional journeys, so I always made time to meet and train up with it. And even though it wasn't as strong as the one between me and my regular group, the bond between me and Gengar was pretty strong in itself.

May, Dawn, Cilan and Iris had left two days before, their holiday period now over. I wanted to go with them to the Viridian City Port, but they convinced me to not to. I was rather concerned about May, seeing as she looked pretty shaken up, but told me that it was nothing.

Immediately after they left, Misty and Brock accompanied me on my journey to Saffron, since Cerulean and Pewter came in the way. That had been yesterday, and for the remaining two hours of daylight, I had ridden on Pidgeot to reach the forest outside Saffron.

Dexter was extremely useful in this regard too, its navigation capabilities were extremely helpful. I had no doubt that I would have been lost 10 times over by now, if not for Pidgeot and Dexter. Travelling with efficient and experienced trainers like Brock and Cilan had pretty much spoiled me on the various small things related with Pokémon journeys. Dexter was the perfect solution for them.

"Pikachu! Pidgeot! Come on here!" I called out into the wilderness. I did not have to wait for long as a loud screech came, indicating the arrival of my massive Pidgeot. But Pidgeot wasn't alone, since riding on its back was Pikachu. Pidgeot looked to be in a playful mood, since it did many aerial manoeuvres, taking care to not drop Pikachu, who was squealing in enjoyment.

"Haha! That's enough guys, we have to reach Saffron, and so we gotta move now." I said with a bit authoritative tone.

Pikachu and Pidgeot looked a bit dejected, but understood that they did need to move as fast as they can to reach the town in time.

"Ready Pidgeot?" I really didn't need to ask as Pidgeot flapped its massive wings, immediately taking in the skies. Pidgeot's massive size had made it a perfect choice for me to take on my mini journey. Pidgeot had never been oversized or even moderately large for its species while a Pidgeotto, but its size had suddenly increased by a great deal after evolving. But it still didn't even compare to the depictions of Sir Aaron's Pidgeot, whose size was simply godly for its species.

As I flew over the vast expanse of the wilderness surrounding probably every city of Kanto, Dexter suddenly spoke up.

"Sir, we are entering into the Saffron Airspace, I would suggest that we fly at a lower height."

I was confused. "But why Dexter, is there a problem in flying at greater heights?"

"Yes sir, the airspaces surrounding the major cities containing official League Gyms have a kind of 'Restricted Airspace'. I do not have much information, but it is highly suggested to fly at lower heights while on a Pokémon." Dexter explained, digging information from the multitude of databases present on it.

"Well, alright then. You heard Dexter buddy, fly low." I said to Pidgeot, who looked a bit annoyed at having to fly at a lower height, but relented.

It was only three hours later that the city of Saffron was visible on the horizon. Just like every other major city, Saffron had undergone a major overhaul in the recent years. While before Skyscrapers were rare in Kanto, now each and every city having a major Gym contained a multitude of them.

Landing in front of the Pokémon Centre, we attracted quite a bit of attention. Mostly it was due to the size of Pidgeot, who itself wasn't a common species. Even though I had never put much effort in my studies, even then one fact had been made clear to each and every student. Pidgeys, even though easily caught and evolved, rarely reached their third evolution; wild Pidgeot's were almost as rare as wild Dragonites.

But I was highly surprised when a few of the people recognized me too.

"Hey look at the Pidgeot man!"

"Wow!"

"Is that Ash Ketchum?"

"Who? The one who won the Unova League?"

"It is him! Look at the Pikachu on his shoulders!"

"Return Pidgeot, take a nice long rest." I said thankfully as I returned Pidgeot to its Pokeball. Seeing as it was midday and Pidgeot had been flying with me on it for quite some time, it must have gotten pretty tired.

Pidgeot wordlessly returned to the Pokeball in a flash of light. After leaving Pidgeot's Pokeball with Nurse Joy, me and Pikachu made our way to the Saffron city Gym. I remembered my first trip here while I was travelling with Brock and Misty. Back then Sabrina had been... strange to say the least.

And that indeed was saying the least, turning Brock and Misty into dolls, manifesting her suppressed emotions into a walking talking doll.

Yeah, strange.

"My, is that how you think about me Ash? I'm hurt." A deathly calm voice came out from behind me.

"AAAHHHHH...S-SABRINA!?" I turned around to see the calm looking, green haired Psychic master.

"Ah. I am honoured that you remember me. After all, we meet only once a year hmm?" She continued, taking one step towards the trembling trainer in front of her.

I was too scared to even say something. How could I! I had just insulted a person who could turn me into a friggin doll!

But just before I could fall on my knees and beg for mercy, Sabrina started laughing. The thing was, it didn't really reassure me or anything, the laugh was a monotonous, slow one.

"Haha. Don't worry Ash, I won't turn you into a doll." Sabrina said with a smile.

How did she kn- Ah! Psychic... mind reading and all that shit.

"So uh...Hi?" I awkwardly greeted to Sabrina, who fortunately didn't notice it, and promptly asked me about the reason I had come to visit.

"You see Sabrina; a big Tournament is coming up. Probably the biggest ever. And the thing is that I need all, and I really mean_ all _of my Pokémon to have a chance in winning the tournament. So that's why I have come back for Gengar." I explained to Sabrina, who took it all in silently.

"So am I correct in assuming that the tournament you are talking about is the Champions League?" At my surprised look she continued. "Don't be so surprised Ash. As one of the top Gym Leaders of Kanto, I was one of the first to get an invitation. And as for Gengar, well I had already decided to give him back to you some time soon, and as a matter of fact Gengar was very excited to see you after seeing your victory against Virgil in the Unova League. Congratulations for that, by the way."

I blushed at the praise. The first titbit of the information didn't really shock me, Sabrina was putting it lightly when she said that she was one of the top Gym Leaders. In my opinion, Sabrina was at the level of the Elite Four, what with her Psychic connections with her Pokémon.

The second thing was more surprising though, Gengar had never really put much of an interest in coming with me on my journeys. "I guess even he wants to travel the world this time." I said. That was the only reason I could guess of.

And where the hell was Gengar anyway? "So Sabrina, where is Gengar?" For some reason, the temperature had got down just as I said those words.

Odd.

"Gengaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrr!" A sudden purplish blob appeared before me, the pointed teeth and red eyes looking as menacing as ever as Gengar made his grand re-entry.

"Yo Gengar!" "Pika Pi!" For some reason, neither me nor Pikachu were ever scared by Gengar. Apparently, this fact annoyed Gengar, so he devised multiple ways to scare us whenever we were in town.

And obviously, none worked.

Gengar got a depressed aura around it as it levitated a bit away from me. Sabrina and I, both suppressed a chuckle at the antics of the childish Pokémon. Many onlookers were in shock over the behaviour of the usually terrifying Pokémon.

"Here's Gengar's Pokeball Ash." Sabrina said as a Pokeball levitated a bit in front of me.

"T-Thanks S-Sabrina." Man. No matter how many times I saw her doing it... it still freaked me out. I grabbed the Pokeball and returned Gengar, who pouted at not being able to remain outside, but didn't resist.

"So... will you be making your way to Pallet today? It's still Afternoon, so you can make a good way out if you leave now." Sabrina asked as she and I walked towards the Pokémon Centre.

"Yeah. I think that would be the thing to do. I want to return to Pallet as soon as possible, I still have a lot of work to do." I answered.

Sabrina merely nodded at that. We walked the remaining distance to the Pokémon Centre in silence. The doors opened automatically as we were greeted by the Nurse Joy present.

"Hello Ash, and Miss. Sabrina." Nurse Joy said, bowing a bit to the Gym leader. "You Pidgeot is fully rested Ash, although I will recommend you to keep him in his Pokeball for a few hours atleast." Nurse Joy said with concern.

I nodded. "I can walk for a few hours. That won't be a problem." Nurse joy smiled at that.

Just as me and Pikachu were making our way outside, Sabrina's voice came up. "I might have given you Gengar Ash, but in return, you will have to catch me a Psychic Pokémon."

That made me pause. "WHAT! B-but why? Gengar was my Pokémon to begin with!?" I asked, baffled.

"True. But don't you remember who took care of him for all these years?" Sabrina said as she shook a lone finger, as if chiding me.

I wanted to argue, I really did. Because in all fairness, it was for the sake of Sabrina that I left Gengar here. Ghost type Pokémon, along with Psychic types, were known to be the most versatile Pokémon of all. Mainly it was due to their intangibility or Teleportation. So Gengar could have been an immense help for me in any of the Leagues.

But... then again, Sabrina _could _read minds, she _could _make me levitate in the air, she _could _turn me into a doll.

"Alright." I said with a sigh.

**XXX**

_1 hour out of Saffron City_

"Hey kid! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!" An arrogant voice called out as I turned towards the direction from which it came.

A pretty non-descript man, looking to be in his 20's, stood with a Pokeball in hand. The man was wearing a yellow coloUred jacket, which had 6 Pokeballs attached to it.

"You talking to me?"

"Yeah you. Who else do you see around?"

"Well alright. How does a three on three battle sound?" I asked. I only had Pidgeot, Pikachu and Gengar on hand.

'_Only three? Must be a newbie.'_ The yellow jacketed man thought to himself. "Fine with me."

We walked over to a nearby clearing. Taking a ready stance, the man threw his Pokeball first.

A turtle-like bipedal Pokémon with plated, green rocks as its shell, appeared on the field. However, the Pokémon let out a menacing cry as it came out, obviously ready for some action.

"Golem! Time to rip it up!" Yellow Jacket called out enthusiastically.

'_Time to have my first "Official" battle with Gengar.' _"I choose you!" The Pokeball opened with a click as Gengar appeared in all its purple coloured glory. Red eyes and sharpened teeth made for a intimidating display as the Ghost shaped Pokémon grinned towards its opponent.

"Gengarrr" Gengar hissed out its name as it measured up its opposition, which, from the looks of it didn't really impress Gengar, seeing as he let out a scoff.

"Just wait a second, will ya?" I called out to the opposing trainer as I scanned Gengar with Dexter. In the excitement of battle, I had forgotten to check the moves which Gengar might knew. I didn't really have much of an experience with Ghost types; Gengar was the first member of my team to be so. Even then, he had been with Sabrina for the better part of the last five years.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #94: Gengar**_

_**A Gengar is close by if you feel a sudden chill. It may be trying to lay a curse on you.**_

**This Gengar has the Ability: Levitate  
This Gengar knows the moves: Lick, Mean Look, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse, Destiny Bond, and Psychic."**

I let out a whistle at that, as did Pikachu. "That's a loooot of moves. Wow, Gengar is really strong, huh Pikachu?" I asked rhetorically to Pikachu, who was similarly amazed at the wide array of powerful moves that Gengar knew.

With its enhanced senses, Gengar heard of the praise its trainer gave him and glowed with pride. The last three moves had been learned by him over the course of the last month, while Ash had been participating in the Unova League.

"HEY KID! ARE YOU GOING TO START OR NOT!" Yellow Jacket obviously was enraged by the perceived stalling.

"Alright Alright. Jeez, but would you tell me your name first?" I asked. I at least wanted to know the name of the person I was about to beat.

...Hey, I _was _the winner of the Unova League!

"Sure. Remember the name kid, its Rail, the person whose gonna win the Champions League next year." The man, Rail, said with arrogance seeping from every word.

I raised an eyebrow. _That_ was a pretty bold comment to make, seeing as even the champions were participating in the League. "Yeah...we'll see about that. My name's Ash Ketchum, thanks for asking."

Rail obviously wasn't affected by the slight insult and immediately started. "Golem, start things out with a _Rock Throw_!" Golem immediately, using its powerful muscles, picked up an absolutely _huge_ Rock and hurled it towards Gengar, who wasn't even panicking in the slightest.

"Gengar, use _Psychic_ to turn the attack back on Golem!" I commanded confidently. Being with Sabrina for the last few years at least had the advantage of Gengar knowing a few Psychic type moves.

"Geennn." Gengar hummed as its eyes and body glowed purple. The rapidly approaching rock stopped mere inches from Gengar, whose grin grew larger, and then turned back towards Golem, who had been shocked by the sudden turn of events.

'_No way! Gengar knows Psychic type moves!? But how is that even possible!?'_ Rail raged mentally, but he wasn't going to lose the battle in one move, "Golem use _Rock Blast_ to nullify the impact!" Since _Dig_ won't be able to work in time, and Golem didn't have much of a space to _Roll out_ to, _Rock Blast_ was their best bet.

Three light blue rings appeared and spun around Golem's body. The rings then glowed white and turned into glowing white rocks that spun around Golem's body as well.

"Leemmm!" Golem exclaimed as it fired the rapidly spinning rocks against the Boulder being controlled by Gengar. The rocks, despite being much smaller, had much more momentum and were more in number than the Boulder. The Boulder collided with the multiple white rocks with a loud crack sound. And then, like a buzz saw going through wood, the rocks grinded into the Boulder, taking a ring like shape similar to the planet Saturn.

The boulder then exploded into a million little fragments, causing both Gengar and Golem to jump back a little to be safe from the impact.

"You're pretty good." I said from the spot where I was standing. The two moves used by Golem were actually quite strong, and I was impressed by the strategy of Rail too. Many inexperienced trainers would have used Dig, causing even more damage to their Pokémon in the process.

"Same for you kid." Rail nodded. Still, he wasn't going to lose to some snot nosed brat. "But it won't do you any good, Golem use _Magnitude_!"

My eyes widened at that. _Magnitude_, being a Ground type move, was much effective against a Ghost type like Gengar.

Golem gave a loud cry as its body got covered in a brown coloured aura, much similar to _Giga Impact_. Golem jumped into the air and then smashed down into it with double the velocity, immediately flattening the surrounding area around it and creating a mini earthquake headed towards Gengar. As the Earthquake moved, the Rocks, Grass and even some of the large Boulders surrounding the area got smashed into pieces. The power was such that if it hit Gengar dead on, he was done for-

-But, Gengar wasn't without its own bag of tricks. "Gengar, use your ability! _Levitate_!" I grinned as I shouted out the move. The one move on par with _Teleport_, which all trainers hated for its sheer effectiveness. Levitate nullified almost every long range Ground Type and Rock Type attacks, especially ones like Earthquake and Magnitude.

"Gengarr!" Gengar floated up into the air with practised ease as it completely evaded the powerful attack. The attack's power was soon visible as a couple of trees toppled over due to the shockwaves generated.

"Now it's our time to attack! Gengar, use _Night Shade_!" Gengar eyes immediately glowed red as it fired a beam of energy towards Golem, who was suffering the effects of using a move like Magnitude. The Beam of energy converted into multiple rings, which all spun rapidly as they reached a wide eyed Golem.

"No Golem! Dodge!" Rail cried out in panic, but to no avail as the damage dealing move hit Golem. The rings converged around Golem, creating a strangulation effect, but were then _absorbed_ into Golem's body, causing it to cry out in immense pain.

"Good job, Gengar!" I congratulated my Pokémon. "Time to end it, Gengar, use _Dream Eater_!" I said with triumph oozing from my voice.

The strategy that I was about to use had been used with irritating effectiveness against me in a single match, causing me to lose as many as _4_ Pokémon. Against Golem, it was definite to work.

The thing about the move was that it was simply... beautiful in a sense of the word. Gengar's body glowed as it thrust its hands forward. A shadow version of Gengar stretched out from its own body, a few beads of sweat forming due to the less amount of practise he had with it.

Nevertheless, Gengar gave a growl as he released the move towards Golem, whose paralysing effect from Magnitude had been accentuated from the _Night Shade_.

"Move out of the way Golem!" Rail could do nothing but grind his teeth in anger as the move reached an unmoving Golem, whose eyes were already shut due to the agonizing pain caused by Night Shade.

The Gengar Shadow reached Golem, and rather than physically attacking or anything like that, rather _passed _through it, initially looking to be harmless, but it was a split second later as Golem fell on its knees, gasping badly for breath as sweat poured down all of the cracks in its armour.

"Your Golem is pretty good to even stay awake after that move, but we have to finish it! Gengar, finish it with _Dark Pulse_!"

Gengar concentrated on the Dark thoughts in its mind as it rapidly created a black coloured sphere, which appeared to have black lightning surrounding it. Giving a victorious cry, Gengar launched the _Dark Pulse_, hitting Golem with a loud bang.

Golem gave a pain filled cry as it was thrown more than a few feet back. The 661 pound Pokémon was dragging through the ground and dirt like a ragdoll, which showed the effectiveness of Gengar's Dark Pulse. When Golem finally stopped from its impromptu rolling, its eyes appeared as spirals, effectively showing that Golem was knocked out.

"YEAH! We win Gengar! Awesome job!" I cried out in victory as Pikachu raised two fingers in a 'V' sign towards Gengar, who blushed a bit at the praise.

Rail, on the other hand, didn't look happy at all. "Stupid Pokémon! I'll deal with you when we go back home." Rail said angrily as he returned his beaten Pokémon.

What the fuck? Golem had just fought such a tough battle against Gengar, who had been training with Sabrina, and Rail still had the mere guts to curse it!? "What the hell are you saying! Golem was really good in the battle, why are you belittling it!? I asked in anger.

Rail growled at being patronized by a mere kid. But before he could give back a jab, he suddenly stilled. Putting a hand into his pocket, he pulled out device much similar to a Mobile Phone, but with a larger screen. Reading it for a few seconds, his expression changed from angry to happiness to anger once again. Looking towards Ash his eyes steeled once again. "Don't interfere in my business kid. I remember just now that I have some... 'unfinished business'...so we gotta make this battle just a two on two. That alright with you?" Rail asked, not really caring for the answer.

I nodded. I had no wish to have a Pokémon battle with a Trainer having that kind of ideals anyway. "Yeah, whatever."

As Rail took out his next Pokeball, he looked at it with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. I was rather perturbed by it. When he was handling Golem, while he was harsh in his words and didn't look to care for it in the slightest... the expression he had with his next Pokémon was simply beyond that.

I also noticed that he took it out of his pant pocket rather than his custom Jacket, making the situation even odder.

Seriously, Rail seemed a pretty average enthusiastic Pokémon trainer just a little while back, so what got into his ass all of a sudden?

"Pikaaa.." Pikachu growled lowly as he saw the expression on Rail's face. Seems like me and him had the same views on the situation.

"Don't disappoint me again you pathetic excuse of a Pokémon... I spent a lot of effort in catching you... now's the time to pay me back." Rail muttered lowly, as he threw the Pokeball.

"I choose you, Arbok!" A purple coloured serpentine Pokémon appeared with a hiss from the Pokeball. A menacing face on its large hood made for an intimidating display. The Pokémon had an impressive height, almost as much as Charizard.

But something which bothered me was a small grey coloured device on Arbok's neck

"That's an impressive Arbok you've got." That was true. The Arbok in front of me didn't look to as easily defeat able as Jessie's Arbok. "Gengar, return. Pikachu, you're up buddy!" I said to the yellow coloured Pokémon on my shoulder, who nodded with resolve and jumped onto the battlefield.

Gengar looked a bit peeved at not being able to show its skills further, but floated over to my side nonetheless.

But even before the battle could begin, there seemed to be some type of internal debacle between Arbok and its trainer. For one, Arbok wasn't even facing Pikachu, glaring on Rail instead.

"Didn't you hear what I said? It's time for you to start paying me back...by winning the battles I use you to fight in, is that clear!" Rail barked to the snake Pokémon hissing at him.

"Chabok!" Arbok hissed at its trainer for one last time before finally turning back to face Pikachu.

"Pika Pi!" "Bok!" Both Pokémon took determined stances against each other, but both for completely different reasons.

One fought for both, its own and its trainer's pride. The other... only for its own survival.

"We will start this time! Pikachu, use Agility!" Pikachu immediately disappeared into thin air, startling Arbok and Rail just like Gary, and immediately Arbok began flinching left and right.

"Don't just stand there you pathetic piece of trash! Use _Acid Spray_ around you to stop that little mouse!" Rail commanded, without even a hint of worry for his slightly wounded Pokémon. Arbok immediately obeyed, taking the split second necessary for Pikachu to attack again to spray the Acid from the multiple glands present in its mouth.

Pikachu had to stop the _Agility_, if not then he would have had second to third degree Acidic burns on its paws from jumping on the ground around Arbok. The serpentine Pokémon itself was completely unharmed from its own attack, being a Poison type and its special ability protecting it from the affects of the low ph-Acid.

"Doesn't matter, Pikachu use _Thunderbolt_!" I commanded. Even though I hoped to see the match end in one attack, I knew that the Arbok in front of me was an actually trained one.

And I had already experienced what I could have faced on my journeys had James properly trained his Koffing.

"That won't do it kid. Arbok, use _Dig_ to get into the ground!" Rail commanded with a smug grin as Arbok immediately used its sleek build to burrow itself into the ground, the Thunderbolt hitting the tail end of Arbok but doing no damage whatsoever.

"Pikachu! Stay on your toes." _Dig_ was one of the best evasive moves, even more so in the case of Serpentine Pokémon like Arbok and Seviper.

"Pikapi." Pikachu narrowed his eyes as its legs tensed, immediately ready to jump whenever its adversary came out.

It was 15 seconds later that Rail finally shouted out, "Arbok, come on out and use _Crunch_!" Nothing happened for a few seconds, but suddenly the ground beneath Pikachu exploded, with the yellow creature jumping up. A second later, a huge purple blur came out from the ground.

Now that Pikachu is above Arbok, it's the perfect time to attack. "Alright, Pikachu, now use Thunder-WHAT!" Just as I was about to finish, Arbok had Pikachu crunched between its jaws, with Pikachu screaming out in pain. The venomous fangs in Arbok's mouth sunk into Pikachu's skin.

Arbok, being a Pokémon more than 15 feet if laid out properly, had apparently predicted Pikachu's jump, and had come out with much more speed than a usual Dig, its natural length providing an advantage in crunching up Pikachu.

"PIKACHU! USE _THUNDERSHOCK_ !" I yelled out in panic. Shit! If the venom entered into Pikachu, he was as good as done!

Pikachu immediately let out an _absolutely massive _Thundershockon Arbok, who despite being in immense pain, didn't let out Pikachu from the Crunch

But even if he resisted, it won't be for more than a few seconds, by which time, we would have already won! "That's it! Keep on doing it Pikachu!"

"No! I won't lose to a kid! Arbok, use _that _move! Use _Thunder Fang!" _ Rail screamed out in madness, refusing to lose to a snot nosed brat.

"What! But that will only extend the match a few minutes more! Why put your Pokémon in so much pain!?" I yelled out. Just what is Rail thinking? This would harm his Pokémon even more than mine, Pikachu was immune to Electric attacks, especially of these levels. He should have returned his Pokémon if anything.

"Chha...bok!" Arbok hissed out its name as its fangs began glowing themselves, absorbing much of the electricity and saving it from some of the pain.

I have to admit, this Arbok is _one determined _Pokémon. Jessie's Arbok would have lost in a fraction of the time the Arbok in front of him was holding out.

But finally, just as it was to be, Arbok had to release Pikachu from its jaws, showing blue coloured wounds on the sides of Pikachu, indicating poisoning. Arbok itself fell flat on the ground, panting badly, with its slit tongue out of its mouth, and electricity burns on most of its body. Still, Arbok wasn't knocked out.

Pikachu was panting badly, mostly due to the asphyxiation effect of Crunch.

"Get up Trash! Fight! I won't be losing due to your tardiness!" Rail yelled out in fury as I looked in disbelief.

"Arbok is clearly beaten! Why don't you just accept defeat and take him to a Pokémon Centre!" I just can't believe the guy in front of me! Even Paul wasn't that bad...ever.

"SHUT UP KID! I don't need to take orders from you! Arbok is _my _Pokémon, and I will say it to do as _I _want to!" Rail yelled back.

"Arbok is not your property! He is supposed to be your friend! You are supposed to care for him!"

"_Care!?" _ Rail let out the word as if it were poison. "_Friend?! _These words hold no meaning for me kid, these Pokémon are just a means for me to get fame and earn big money, nothing more." Rail said coldly.

"And Arbok..." He took out a grey shaped box with a couple of buttons on it. "**will **obey." He pushed the button, immediately causing Arbok to cry out in intense pain.

"CHAABOK!" Arbok thrashed around, unable to think of any way to have the pain reduced. The box on its neck glowed yellow, with electricity crackling around it, releasing bolts of pain directly into Arbok's interior body.

"Pikachu! Use _Iron Tail_ immediately on that box!" I yelled quickly. So that was what the box was used for... for torturing Arbok into submission. '_Just how sick is this guy!?'_

"_Pikachu!" _Pikachu moved with extreme quickness as it smashed a glowing tail over the box on Arbok's neck, immediately causing it to fall off into pieces. Despite having been in a battle with Arbok, Pikachu didn't want him to suffer under something that horrendous.

"What the hell are you doing kid!? That was the only thing keeping it under my control!" Rail said in fury.

I clenched my fists. "How dare..." I took a deep breath to calm my fury at the words of the... **trash**_**... **_in front of me "How **dare** someone like you even call himself a trainer! Pokémon are not your slaves or means to an end! Pokémon are our friends, our companions! Someone like you doesn't deserve to be a Pokémon Trainer!" I could have sworn I never felt as angry as I did in the moment right now.

"You...I will make you pay runt! Just wait and watch! Machamp, Golem, Beedril , Spearow, Dugtrio, Kadabra! Come out and teach this kid a lesson!" Rail exclaimed as he threw all of his six Pokeball into the air. All of the powerful Pokémon appeared with cold looks on their faces, intent on following every order given.

Seeing the situation escalate to dangerously high levels, Pikachu and Gengar stood protectively in front of Ash.

"PIDGEOTTT!" With an audible click and flash, Pidgeot appeared in all its glory, eyes blazing with unrestrained anger over the facts it had just heard from the opposing trainer.

"You guys..." I muttered with a smile. "We have to protect Arbok too!" I said as me and all of my Pokémon took a defensive stance against Arbok. Even then I knew that Rail could just recall Arbok into his Pokeball, but I had to do _something._

Arbok watched all this with shocked wide eyes. Even since he had been an Ekans, he had been under the control of Rail. Never had he had a happy moment with him. All of Rail's Pokémon had been fully evolved by the time he had been captured and thus were never sympathetic towards him, rather choosing to treat him just like Rail. After evolving into Arbok, he had thought things might get better, but it was not to be... nothing changed for him.

But now... seeing a random person trying to actually_ help _him? It was unbelievable for Arbok.

Just as the situation was about to explode, a familiar siren took everyone's attention.

"Hold it right there!"

I turned around and felt immediate relief as I saw Officer Jenny arriving on her motorcycle. A Growlithe rode on the attached mini car on the bike.

But how? No one here caller her and it was too far out for this to be a normal patrol-

"-That would be me, Sir." A mechanical voice I hadn't heard for quite some time reached my ears.

"Dexter!?"

"Of course sir, I used an SOS to inform the nearest available Officer Jenny." Dexter informed me.

"Wow! Thanks a lot Dexter!" '_Dexter's actually quite helpful!'_

"No problem, sir." Dexter replied courteously.

'_Shit! With the Police here... I've gotta make my escape.' _Ralph thought to himself as he recalled every one of his Pokémon bar Kadabra and Arbok.

Officer Jenny's bike kicked up a dust cloud as she stooped it. Getting off the bike with practised ease, she immediately ran towards the two trainers, with Growlithe leading her.

"Trainer Rail, stand down immediately!" Jenny warned the ready-to-escape trainer as she reached the mini battleground.

Rail immediately turned to Kadabra. "Kadabra, teleport us back." Kadabra nodded as it readied its spoons. Rail immediately turned towards Arbok's fallen form to return it back, but soon realized that he won't be able to with the multitude of people guarding it.

"Grr... Know what kid? If you want this loser Pokémon, then fine..." Rail took out Arbok's Pokeball from his pocket, and to my shock, crushed it to pieces under his foot. "Keep it."

"Bastard." I growled. But before I or Officer Jenny could make any move to apprehend him, both Rail and Kadabra vanished into a flash of light, indicating that the Teleport was successful.

"Kadabra had a pretty short time to use _Teleport_, their location can't be too far out. Don't worry Ash we might even get him." Officer Jenny said, even though she didn't really sound that confident.

I nodded, but my immediate concern was towards Arbok, who was still lying on the ground. A couple of faint marks were present on its hood from the machine previously attached, and he was still suffering from the after-effects of the _Thundershock_ from Pikachu.

All in all, Arbok needed to get to a Pokémon Centre.

I approached the serpentine Pokémon, who watched me with an emotion I couldn't really understand, but I knew that it wasn't fear or anger. Arbok didn't even look particularly sad at having his Pokeball crushed, which wasn't all that odd seeing Rail's attitude towards him.

"Hey buddy." I said, as gently as I could. Arbok flinched at my voice, but it was probably due to the silence surrounding it from before.

"Listen Arbok, we need to get you to a Pokémon Centre as soon as possible, so hold on ok?" I asked Arbok. Seeing as it was a pretty large Pokémon, Arbok needed to at least co-operate properly with us.

But Arbok did something that shocked everyone around. He calmly moved his head towards one of the Pokeballs attached to my belt, one of the empty ones, and pressed its button. Arbok disappeared in a red flash, as it was customary for newly caught Pokémon, the Pokeball vibrated twice, then became still.

I had just caught an Arbok.

Everyone stood in shocked silence for a little while. After seeing Arbok's disobedience towards his previous trainer, what had happened now would have been the last possible scenario in their minds. "Well...wasn't that something." Jenny commented lightly, an amused smile on her face.

"...Yeah."

**OMAKE**

_**May POV**_

I giggled loudly as Ash pushed me on a swing. I grabbed the ropes tightly so as to not fall off from the momentum of the swing.

"Aah! Ash, slow down a little!" I yelled in a squeaky voice to Ash, who laughed.

"Aww! Come on May, it was just getting _fun!_" He tried to coax me, but I wasn't bulging. "Ok alright, I'll stop." He agreed. Well, that's my Ash, always so nice to me.

As I got up from the swing, I noticed that the world around me was very blurry, with only Me and As clearly visible. Still, for some reason, that didn't bother me.

"Come on May, let's go somewhere else." Ash said as he extended his hand towards me. While I had held his hands several times before, for some reason _this _time it felt more...special.

"But where to Ash?" I asked as I ran along with him.

"That'll ruin the surprise May. You just have to wait and watch!" Ash said with a cheeky grin towards me.

As we ran along for a while, I noticed that the world around us was noticeably blank. I couldn't even make out any trees or boulders, or even houses.

After running together for a while, we reached a hill side. I gasped as I looked over the beautiful view from there, with the flowing meadows, the serene grass shining the full moon-

Wait. Full moon? Hillside? Wasn't it day time just a second ago? And weren't we in Pallet town?

"May." I was broken from my thoughts as I turned towards Ash, whose face was _very _close to me.

"Ash." My voice came out as a whisper.

Our lips moved in perfect synchronicity, it was as if the world had exploded in a thousand lights for me. The passion and love I felt, the slimy feel of his face along with the sour taste-

Wait what. _Sour taste?_ I opened my eyes, only to wish I never had...

...Because in front of my face was not Ash, but a purple coloured blob I knew all too well.

"Muuuukkkkk" Muk hugged me with a wide smile.

I did the only sensible thing anybody would possible have.

I screamed.

**XXX**

**A/N: There's one thing I gotta confess people... I won't be able to update too much for the next month or three...or thirty. Look, the thing is, writing Fanficiton has got to the point where it is more of a crime for me to do so. **

**My Parents are constantly drilling me to study harder for the upcoming Medical Entrance Examinations next year, so things like **_**Fun... **_**and **_**life**_** don't really exist in my dictionary any more. Any Indian person under the age of 18 can attest to whatever I have ranted.**

**But make no mistake, I won't be abandoning this story. If I have to bunk my classes to go to a Cyber Cafe to write the next chapter... then by god I'mma do it.**

**Later, Tango Charlie O.U.T.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Yo, Here's the new Chapter. **

**I do not own Pokémon. I would have challenged Nintendo to a Rap battle, but they have a power that I just cannot overcome, no matter what I do…..**

**The Power of Engrish. Nothing can defeat Engrish.**

**XXX**

"And I'm telling you that it's a very powerful Pokémon!" Ash's voice came out as a yell.

"Pikachu can probably defeat it in one move!" A feminine voice yelled back.

"They have been going at it for five minutes now….. Should we do something?" Daisy asked with concern to her two sisters.

"Nah, its like, a lover's quarrel! Daisy, we don't need to do anything." Lily brushed off her sister's concern. Violet simply watched the scene in front of her with amusement.

"Hmm….maybe your right. Just imagine if they end it with an angry and passionate kiss…" Daisy said with a sigh.

"Yeah…..our little sis and her long time 'boy' friend." Violet gushed in the same manner.

"THAT'S IT! _**MY **_Gyrados vs. _**your**_ Arbok! Right here, Right now!" Misty screamed at Ash, the sheer air rushing out of her mouth making Ash's hair flow wildly. Misty was apparently less-than-impressed with the newest Pokémon of Ash. Seeing Arbok being defeated by a single _Thundershock_ for years had made a permanent opinion of Misty's mind over the power of that particular Pokémon.

"You got it!" Ash screamed back, both of them stomping their way over to the gym's main battle area. Ash naturally didn't take this perceived belittling of his Pokémon too well.

"…...or maybe not."

"Pika pi….." Pikachu just sighed sadly at the behavior of two of the people he knew all too well.

"Aww poor little guy.. Come on Pikachu, you can stay with us!" Lily said to the cute looking Pokémon in front of her.

"CHU!" And Pikachu was all too happy to agree.

**XXX**

"Gyrados honey, come on out and show Ash just who he is dealing with." Misty said calmly as a low, but still audible growl came from under the surface of the huge Pool which served as the battling area of Cerulean City's Gym.

A huge serpentine Pokémon emerged out of the water. The aforementioned Pokémon had huge jaws, enough to fit a Rhyhorn into them which remained permanently opened. A three pointed dark blue crest on its head gave it a regal appearance. The Pokémon let out an absolutely insane growl as it came out from the water, honestly scaring the shit out of Ash.

Ash audibly gulped at the huge form of the Atrocious Pokémon. But shaking his head immediately after, he took a determined stance. He wasn't about to get his newest friend humiliated because he was _scared._ He had faced _and _defeated Legendary Pokémon before…this was nothing compared to that.

"Arbok, I choose you!" Ash yelled as he threw Arbok's Pokeball towards one of the floating platforms in the pool.

"CHAABOK!" Arbok let out a determined hiss as it emerged from its Pokeball. The 18 feet long Serpent stared down the 21 feet long one. While most Pokémon would have been highly intimidated, Arbok wasn't one to be so. Even in the wild Arbok were highly egoistical Pokémon, never backing down from a challenge or showing fear. And in all honesty, Arbok's size wasn't all that short from Gyrados.

"Dexter….give me some info on Arbok." Ash said in a light tone to Dexter, who beeped in understanding and immediately scanned Arbok.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #24: Arbok**_

_**This Pokémon is terrifically strong in order to constrict things with its body. It can even flatten steel oil drums. Once Arbok wraps its body around its foe, escaping its crunching embrace is impossible.**_

**This Arbok has the Ability: Shed Skin  
This Arbok knows the moves: Acid Spray, Crunch, Dig, Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Coil, Haze, Smokescreen, Sludge Wave, Sludge Bomb, and Hyper Beam."**

"Arbok's pretty strong!" Ash whispered in awe. If Rail knew that Arbok knew all of these moves….. That guy would have sold his left nut to keep a hold over it.

"Thanks Dexter. You've been extremely helpful to me." Ash said with gratitude towards his sentient computer.

"I-It's no problem Sir!" Dexter said, a bit shyly over the praise.

"Trainer's ready?" An official sounding voice rang out, startling Ash.

Seeing both Ash and Misty nod, the Gym's Referee threw both his hands down. "Begin!"

"Gyrados! Start up by _Hydro Pump_!" Misty ordered to Gyrados, who let out a growl in understanding as it fired a massive beam of water towards Arbok, whose muscles tensed as it prepared to follow whatever command Ash gave.

"Arbok get into the water!" Ash commanded as Arbok immediately jumped into the water. The _Hydro Pump_ hit a split second later, the effect nullified by Arbok's presence in a large body of water. Nevertheless, Arbok was knocked a great deal inside the pool, showing just how powerful the Hydro Pump really was.

"You're in _our _territory now Ash. Gyrados get into the water and fish out Arbok!" Misty yelled to her monstrous Pokémon, overconfidence seeping into her early in the match.

'_Damn…. Arbok needs some help now. But it can't hear me while deep inside the water, I've gotta wait till it comes near the surface!'_ Ash thought to himself, a little bit of panic coming into his mind. Even though Arbok was more than an adept swimmer; its ears didn't work all that well at heights that deep.

Meanwhile Gyrados had readily jumped into the water, its natural habitat, and began searching for Arbok. He didn't have to search for long as the purple serpent was swimming for the surface at great speeds.

Meeting Arbok head on, both Gyrados and Arbok rammed their heads, its larger size providing Gyrados an advantage. Gyrados and Arbok continued their melee in the water, with both Pokémon twisting and turning to get a good hit on their respective adversaries. Gyrados used its _Water Gun_ in conjunction with its physical attacks, getting a greater speed than Arbok. Soon, its type advantage proved too much for Arbok as Gyrados wrapped up Arbok in a powerful _Coil_.

Arbok hissed out in pain as its own maneuver was used again itself. The _Coil_ also provided a greater advantage to Gyrados in the sense that it could suffocate Arbok with ease. While Arbok and its pre-evolution, Ekans, could well on stay in water for more than an hour, being strangulated by a physically superior Pokémon like Gyrados didn't bode well for them.

Ash gritted his teeth, knowing that Gyrados could just stretch this out to get a cheap victory. Seeing the smug grin on Misty's face didn't help matters.

However during all this, Gyrados and Arbok's thrashing had brought them much closer to the surface of the water, thus making it possible for Ash to give orders now.

'_Dang! Arbok can't use Bite or Thunder Fang… Bite won't even scratch Gyrados and Thunder Fang would end up causing more damage to Arbok itself than anything else…. What can I do….what..wha- THAT'S IT!'_

"Gonna give up Ash?" Misty asked to her long time friend and crush. Even though she would support Ash in the Champions League, getting a victory for her won't feel bad at all. "Don't worry, Gyrados is my strongest Pokémon, Arbok didn't have a chance from the beginning." She said, intending to taunt Ash. But much to her surprise, Ash didn't answer back nor did he look worried at all, rather he had a smirk on his face.

"Arbok, use _Acid Spray_ in the water!" Ash yelled triumphantly, knowing that now he had the upper hand in the match.

'_Huh? What's that gonna do?' _Misty thought confusedly.

"Cha*blob blob* bok!" Arbok let out a stream of thick purple liquid around itself. The stream hissed as it came into contact with water, the difference in pH causing the mini reactions. Even though Gyrados tightened its reign around Arbok, the Cobra Pokémon continued letting out the Acid into the water.

The change wasn't clear to Misty and Gyrados instantly, but soon, Gyrados began wiggling around inside the water in discomfort, while its grip against Arbok loosened. As Arbok continued letting out the _Acid Spray_, it sprayed some onto its opponent itself, the Acid creating a mini layer on the scaly body of Gyrados. The Acid, besides reacting against Gyrados skin, also added to the Acid already present in the vicinity.

Gyrados let out a pain filled roar as the Acidic water reached its eyes and sensitive parts, providing enough opportunity for Arbok to use a _Bite_ to escape.

Arbok immediately rushed towards the surface, coiling up on one of the platforms and taking deep breaths to restore the Oxygen it lost during the underwater melee.

Misty was in complete disbelief over what she had just witnessed."NO WAY! How did you even think of something like that!?"

"Making the water Acidic enough for Gyrados to loosen up?" Ash asked with a smirk, getting a tick mark to appear on Misty's forehead. "Truth be told, even I don't know what just happened. I just read an article on the XtremeDex which described how Arboks kept their territory safe from other Pokémon by making their surrounding areas Acidic. I didn't know whether it would work on something like Gyrados…." He then gave a look towards Gyrados, who was still rushing blindly in the water "….And by the looks of it….it worked."

"And by the way, don't stop using _Acid Spray_ Arbok! Get Arbok out…or rather _fish it out!" _Ash said with a grin, turning back misty's earlier taunt on her.

"Chabokkkka!" Arbok was more than happy to agree, taking pleasure in the pain its opponent felt.

Realizing that situations could turn from bad to worse for her if she did not take an immediate decision, Misty yelled "Gyrados, immediately get out of the water!"

Ash grinned. Now that Gyrados was out of the water, things were on more than even ground between him and Arbok. '_I have no doubt that Gyrados has more raw power than Arbok…..but that doesn't mean we're gonna lose!'_

"Gyrados! Use _Rain Dance_!" Misty commanded her Pokémon, causing Ash to curse. Gyrados started moving erratically for a few seconds, twisting and turning its body as a blue glow came onto it.

Rain clouds appeared out of nowhere in the roofed structure, by what magic Ash did not know. Pretty soon it started raining, effectively nullifying the Acidic effect on Gyrados's body; not so much for the pool water, which had an obscene amount of Acid mixed into it.

"Now Gyrados, use _Flamethrower_!" Misty said to her Pokémon, confident that the next move would help it win.

"Dodge it by getting into the water Arbok!" Ash said as he grit his teeth. With only two platforms present on the surface; the pool provided an immense disadvantage for the non water type Pokémon competing here. More so in the rare case that the opponent happened to Misty's powerful Gyrados.

While Arbok tried to dodge immediately, it could not as the _Flamethrower_ hit its hood. Arbok cried out in pain as it was pushed backwards into the water, the cool liquid providing momentary relief. "Cha." Arbok grunted as it slithered quickly into the water; displeased to get back into the same niche from which it had escaped minutes prior. But the _Flamethrower_ had caused much damage to its hide, and the water was the perfect place to be in.

'_Well….at least Gyrados can't get in…to.. the….. wat…er?'_ Ash's thoughts were rapidly turned as Misty ordered Gyrados to use _Hydro Pump_ on the pool water, the excessive water nullifying the Acidic pH into a neutral one. '_There goes the time to think about strategies.'_ Ash deadpanned to himself.

Not even wasting a moment, Gyrados jumped into the water, intent on hunting Arbok down after the agony it had suffered due to it.

"Gyrados, end it using _Ice Beam_!" Misty was getting a bit more desperate now; the battle had gone far longer than she had estimated.

"Gya!" Gyrados roared as it launched a whitish blue beam towards Arbok, who managed to avoid it closely. Both Arbok and Ash knew that if the _Ice Beam_ hit any part of Arbok, the match was as good as over since its speed would be greatly reduced.

Suddenly, one of the beams partially hit Arbok, freezing part of its tail, and immediately reducing much of its mobility. Using _Ice beam_ in water had the added effect of causing even more damage than when used on ground.

With the scenario getting bleak, Ash was getting desperate. "Arbok, use _Smokescreen_ in the water to hide yourself!" Ash could only hope that the second most basic point about Arboks and Sevipers proved to be true inside water.

'_What is Ash thinking?'_ Misty thought to herself, more curious that anything else. From the many unorthodox strategies Ash had devised in this very match, she could admit at least to herself that she was quite intrigued.

Arbok obeyed without any question, a stream of smoke exiting from its mouth; converting to sludge and slime into the water. Nevertheless, visibility turned to zero underwater, with neither of the trainers able to see their Pokémon.

"Ugh….that's gonna take a long time to clean up…." Lily groaned to herself, the action being mimicked by the other two sisters as well as the Gym Referee.

"What are you gonna do now Ash?" Misty asked to herself. "Now that the water is all dark, not even Gyrados will be able to find Arbok, but they will have to come out after some time and that is when we will win!" She exclaimed, hoping to see at least a worried expression on Ash's friend, she was rather worried by the semi-confident smirk.

"That's what you think Misty. But as for Arbok, well he has a special weapon."

Ash then turned towards the pool, internally debating whether he should go ahead with the strategy or not, seeing as it could easily turn out to be a waste of energy.

And Arbok looked pretty damn tired the last time it came up on the surface.

'_It's do or die…. Or lose'_ "Arbok, use _Sludge Bomb_ on Gyrados!" He yelled, hoping to the heavens above that Arbok could hear his voice over all of the water and smoke.

Everyone present around watching the battle was turned for a loop from this sudden order of Ash's.

"But how will Arbok even find Gyra-" Misty was silenced a couple of small booms came from the water surface, a large amount of the smoky water going up. Gyrados's pain filled cries filled the air as multiple _Sludge Bombs_ hit it.

"Use _Sludge Wave_ around you Arbok, and then continue using _Sludge Bombs_!" Ash yelled, clenching a fist in excitement as his theory proved true. Even though _Sludge Bomb_ was a pretty strong attack, Ash could only guess that its power reduced exponentially in the water, and with the _Sludge Wave_, he made the water almost impossible for Gyrados for moving in. Arbok, being accommodated in moving through swamps and the underground, didn't experience any such problems of his own.

Misty's uses had widened in sheer disbelief over what was happening in front of her eyes. She was being overwhelmed in _her _element, Water, by a Pokémon not even belonging to the type. Her panic began to rise as the water turned extremely murky, the _Sludge Wave_ showing its merit.

But one thing still baffled her-" How are the _Sludge Bombs_ even hitting Gyrados!? How is Arbok able to hit on target!?" Misty asked Ash.

Ash smiled. "While you may not know it Misty, Arbok has Thermal Vision, so moves like _Haze_ and _Smokescreen_ doesn't affect it in the least."

"Grr… Gyrados, please try to come out of the water!" Misty yelled in desperation to her Pokémon.

"Arbok, keep on using the _Sludge Bombs_!" Ash yelled, he wasn't going to lose now. He knew full well that Gyrados hadn't expelled much of its power had could still finish off Arbok in one move if given the time.

Soon, a slithering mass of bruised and battered scales came thrashing up on the surface; Misty's Gyrados was severely weakened. The muddied water caused it to expel even more energy in order to perform a task as simple as move onto the platform.

Arbok followed soon after, its hide showing burn marks and the tail suffering from Frostbite; but its mobility far more than Gyrados due to having experience of moving in such surfaces.

Both of the Pokémon panted harshly as they got onto their relating platforms. Their glares were heated as they watched at their respective figures of momentary hate. Both of the Pokémon were running on pure adrenal after performing such high level moves in quick succession.

Both Ash and Misty knew that whatever orders they would give their respective Pokémon would probably be their last stand, so gathering their wits, both yelled-

"Gyrados!" –"Arbok!"

"**Hyper Beam!"** Both of the voices came out as one, their eyes widening momentarily at having announced the same move.

Both Arbok and Gyrados let out beastly roars as they began charging up a yellow sphere in their mouths, the sharp teeth of both the apex predators fully visible now. The yellow balls grew in size for a few seconds, by which time they were as large as Baseballs. With a resounding cry of their names, both of the Pokémon launched their attacks, the yellow sphere converting into a beam of pure destruction.

Both the beams met in a spectacular display, their yellow colors turning to Golden from their sheer power, which combined as they met. Both of the Pokémon began struggling for dominance as the impact point moved back and forth. A sphere made of pure energy was created in the middle, showing that the powers of the _Hyper Beams_ were combining.

"Uhh…..we better get down….." The Referee said nervously to the group behind him.

Ash and Misty shouted their respective support to their Pokémon, the small crowd comprising of the Gym staff and Misty's sisters covered their eyes, the brightness too much for them.

Then…. the sphere exploded, creating a huge mushroom cloud on the point of impact as the muddled water flew around, a small amount evaporating from the sheer heat generated at the impact point. A sound equal to a canon ball going off was heard as the explosion occurred

"W-who w-won?" Daisy asked, coughing a little as she bleakly opened her eyes.

The Referee, unable to see clearly, didn't respond immediately. But as the cloud settled, both of the Pokémon's silhouette was visible, both lay out on the ground, swirls having replaced their eyes.

The match was a draw.

The referee announced as such as both the trainers returned their Pokémon, opposite looks on their faces.

Ash looked overjoyed at the result. And why shouldn't he be? Drawing with a Pokémon as strong as Gyrados spoke volumes of Arbok's true strength and potential.

Misty on the other hand looked completely shocked. Gyrados was her strongest Pokémon, and Ash's Arbok had been able to defeat it!? '_Maybe I do need to train harder…'_

Both Ash and Misty approached each other, with the small crowd waiting in baited silence to see just what happened next. The match was furiously high octane for a seemingly random battle, rather looking like a knockout round of a regional league. Pikachu quickly made its way up its trainers shoulder.

Misty smiled as she extended her hands, causing Ash to blink. "You did very well Ash." She said genuinely. "You proved me completely wrong; Arbok indeed is a very capable battler." She said, feeling a bit of shame at having dismissed Arbok so easily.

Ash merely smiled. "No problem Misty, although I must say that Gyrados was one of the strongest Pokémon I have battled." Ash said with honesty.

As the two friends exchanged words Lily and Violet were engaged in a discussion of their own.

"Lil' Sis. did well, didn't she?" Lily asked to her sister.

Said sister shook her head in the negative. "To be honest Lil, no she did not."

Lily was shocked by the answer. "B-But how? She drew with Arbok, didn't she?"

"Think 'bout it Lily, Arbok was a Pokémon that Ash had captured two days ago, and still he drew against Misty's Gyrados, which is her best Pokémon. That just shows that Misty has a great way to go before she could call herself a true Water Pokémon Master." Daisy explained further, leaving Lily a bit baffled over the sudden intelligence her sister showed about the art of Pokémon battling.

Ash stayed at the Gym for another hour or so, the time necessary for Arbok to recover in the Pokémon center. Even though he would have liked spending more time with Misty, he knew that he had to get home soon.

His epic journey awaited him.

**XXX**

_**A couple of hours later…**_

**Ash POV**

A dust cloud was created as a large Pidgeot landed in front of the famous laboratory of Professor Oak.

"Thanks Pidgeot! You can go and meet up with the others." I said, looking towards Pidgeot. Seeing as we were at the laboratory, there was no need for Pidgeot to stay inside a Pokeball. Pikachu jumped from the top of Pidgeot.

Pidgeot cooed happily as it flapped its majestic wings and took off towards the large canopy of trees, where Staraptor, Swellow, Unfezant and Noctowl usually rested.

I stretched out my legs as Pikachu did the same. Man flying really tires one out. "Come on Pikachu, let's go meet the Professor." Pikachu fell in step with me as we entered the Laboratory.

After searching for a while, we found Professor sipping tea in his Living Room.

"Ah, Ash! What a pleasant surprise, come on in." Oak said with a smile as I entered the room.

"Hey Professor Oak." "Pikachu!" Both of us sat on the sofa opposite to the one Professor was sitting on.

"So how was your journey Ash? Catch some new Pokémon?" Professor Oak asked curiously as he continued sipping his tea.

A grin came to my face. "Two actually." I said proudly.

One of Oak's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "Really? Mind showing me?"

I nodded and stood up. Taking the two Pokeballs on my belt, I pressed the button on their center to enlarge them before calling them out. "Come on out guys!"

"Gengarrr!" "Chabokka!" Both of the Pokémon arrived with their respective cries. Gengar floated around with the perpetual mischievous look on its face, while Arbok was coiled up, not intending to cause any damage to the closed up room due to its large size.

Professor Oak moved forward to inspect the two Pokémon, which had the two beings look in confusion at each other. Regardless, both were calm in the presence of their Trainer.

"Impressive." Oak finally said after taking a few looks on them. "Gengar is very well conditioned. The Gaseous particles that make its body do not have irregular coloration, so it is safe to say that it has had a very balanced diet. It also looks to be Levitating without much concentration, pretty impressive for a Gengar." Since Gengars received two legs after evolving, their Levitating abilities were usually reduced a bit, but the Gengar in front of Oak was a pretty impressive specimen.

"Arbok's scales look shiny and its length is also a bit above average. And now that I look accurately, its facial pattern is also of a _Speed forme _so it will definitely help in the kind of battles you have Ash."

I was just glad that the two marks on Arbok's hood had been able to be healed by Nurse Joy. But the thing about _forme _confused me. "What do you mean by _Speed Forme_, Professor?" I asked. Even Arbok was a bit confused by the sudden mention.

"I am not surprised that you do not know about it Ash, it's not really common knowledge after all." Oak said with a smile as he motioned for me to sit back on the sofa, while he took back his own place.

"The designs you see on Arbok's hood, they are the ones which decide the _Forme _that your Arbok has."

"Designs? But I have only seen one type of pattern on Arboks hood." I was rather confused. While it was true that I had not had much experience with Arboks, other than Team Rocket's, whenever I had seen an Arbok in the wild it had the same type of Pattern.

"You see, Arboks usually have the _Standard Forme_ on their hoods. That's the one most trainers notice. What is not known to the masses is that Arbok's facial patterns come in Six Forms, out of which three are known; _Attack, Speed _and _Standard_. Your Arbok has a speed boosting Pattern, so without a shadow of a doubt, it will come much handy for you." Oak explained to me.

I looked at Arbok in a new light, as did Pikachu and Gengar. "Wow Arbok, you are really good!" I complimented the purple colored Pokémon, who blushed a bit at the praise it received from Ash, Pikachu and Gengar.

Having been under an abusive trainer for much of its life, the change in scenario was an extremely happy one for Arbok.

"So Gary told me that you will be leaving for this… 'Training Trip' of yours tomorrow?" I nodded at that. "I see…..so what is it that you plan to do during this trip?" Oak asked curiously.

"First of all, I am planning to go to Johto; there is someone I have to meet there…." A memory crossed my face…. A memory of a Pokémon I had not seen from the days of my Johto journeys.

I could only hope that it was still free.

Oak nodded, not intending to pry. "And what after that? While I agree that Mt. Silver is a great place to train in Johto, is that your plan?" He asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, before faltering a bit. While I had been training pretty hard for the last few days, I was banking on making the most out of my Training Trip. But now that I think about it… what exactly can I do while travelling around that I can't in the comfort of Oak's Laboratory?

"I see that you're pretty confused." Oak noted.

"Yes professor… now that I am thinking about it, where exactly can I go for my Training Trip? I have never travelled just for the purpose of Training…" I trailed off.

Seeing his confusion, Oak spoke up "May I suggest something to you?" At my nod he continued. "Why not take on the Sinnoh Battle Frontier?"

I was rather taken aback at the suggestion. But then a sudden thought hit me "But Professor, aren't all the Gyms and Contests closed for this season? Is the Battle Frontier even active?"

"No, the Battle Frontier remains open all the time, regardless of what the gyms and Contests might follow. The main reason for this is that unlike the Gyms, only a very low number of people manage to defeat even the first Frontier Brain, so there's no need for the others to compete. So the Battle Frontier will be the best option for you to test out your skills in an official capacity."

It was then that he decided to add something more "And moreover, the Frontier Facilities are located quite nearby, so you can finish it in a maximum period of three months, giving you much time to capture new Pokémon and train with them."

I nodded as a smile came to my face. I had already won the Kanto Battle Frontier, Sinnoh didn't sound bad at all! But I still had one last question "Why particularly Sinnoh, Professor? Why not Unova, Hoenn or Johto?"

"You don't know? The Hoenn region and the Kanto region share the same Battle Frontier, while Sinnoh and Johto do the same. And as for Unova, well it doesn't have a Battle Frontier of its own, and is too far away from the mainland to share one."

Oak said as he listed the regions. He was rather concerned at Ash's extreme lack of knowledge over such things, but there was hardly anything he could do for that.

I hummed in understanding, but one look towards Pikachu, Arbok and Gengar made up my decision without any doubt.

"We are gonna take on the Sinnoh Battle Frontier!"

**XXX**

_**Night time**_  
**Pokémon POV**

"_Hey yo? Where are the new guys?" _Blastoise asked anxiously as he looked at his fellow friends.

"_Don't know Boss. Pikachu did say they are gonna come soon."_ Dewott said as he looked at his 'Boss'. Ever since Blastoise had taken Dewott under his wing, Dewott began calling Blastoise '_Boss'_.

"_I must say, even I am highly intrigued by the identities of our new comrades."_ Noctowl said in his usual smart manner as he turned his head near 180 degrees to look for any sign of the newbies.

"_Could it be Lapras? We haven't seen her for a long time_." Snorlax rumbled out, for once taking part in a conversation. Having training hard for the past few days had made Snorlax into a much more desirable living being to be around.

"_Why couldn't Pidg just tell us_?" Unfezant asked, her sweet tone while mentioning Pidgeot not going unnoticed by the surrounding Pokémon. Nevertheless, all refrained from commenting.

Dewott being left at a near death stage was a constant reminder for most.

"_Apparently, he and Pikachu wanted to 'surprise us'_." Charizard muttered out sarcastically. He was quite annoyed by the constant wait.

All of the Pokémon fell into quieted mutterings, talking among themselves. Torkoal and Croconaw discussed how their respective training regimes were coming through. Torkoal had been humiliated at his own loss against Tobias and wanted to prove his worth to Ash.

For Croconaw, his pride had been hurt immensely by his own weak state. Being a predator Pokémon, living a comfortable life at the ranch had spoiled him. He didn't mind the training Ash put him through, not at all.

Quilava, Infernape and Pignite were comparing their respective fires. The bodily flames of Fire Pokémon were the source of their pride and ego. Having a weak flame deemed one unworthy for competition.

Staraptor, Gliscor and Swellow just lazed around in the canopy of a few trees, tired of all the waiting around.

Palpitoad and Buizel were having a mini race around the pond. Having been the 'Bosses' of their respective home areas, both Pokémon engaged in mock battles and competition to test their strengths. While it was clear to anyone perspective enough that Buizel was the better one, Palpitoad constantly tried to make himself better.

Corphish and Kingler were just cackling their claws, seeing whose made the most kind of noises.

Donphan and Tauros were testing their Teeth, and Horns respectively, against each other. Being Pokémon of similar build, Bouffalant, Donphan and Tauros had intense rivalries even in the wild.

"_Alright that's enough_!" Charizard roared out, startling many of the Pokémon in the vicinity. "_If the runt doesn't bring them…. I'm gonna find them myself!"_ The Dragon stated angrily as he stood.

Suddenly, the air grew a lot colder, and considering that Glailie wasn't around, it was pretty strange.

Charizard felt a sudden shiver on his back. Turning around a _tad bit_ nervously, he was confused a bit as he found nothing.

'_Strange…'_ The chill didn't go away, rather it felt to Charizard as if something was crawling on its back.

"_Whyyyy heeloooooooo Charizarddddddd"_ A somewhat familiar raspy voice came into Charizard's ear, scaring the shit out of him.

Charizard's sudden scream attracted the attention of a lot of Pokémon as they readied their respective weapons. Blastoise's cannons clicked, Quilava's fire blew up and Snivy's vines came out.

"_W-Who? W-What_-" Charizard fearfully let out as he turned hither tither.

"_Why_….." Gengar materialized before the group, making a lot of them step back. "….._I am surprised you don't remember me. But I think it cannot be helped…after all, you were a little Charmander_ _back then_." Gengar rasped out, still grinning widely.

Blastoise, Bulbasaur and Charizard's eyes widened. "_N-no way! You're Hau-!"_ Charizard was interrupted as Gengar laughed.

"_I see that you remember me! Yes, IT'S ME, IT'S ME, IT'S GENGAR-E-P!" _

"_Dude! Where were you all these days!?"_ Blastoise asked in extreme confusion as he looked towards the Pokémon that he had not seen for nearly 6 years.

"_Ahh, patience my frieeend. Master Ash caught me back then, but decided to leave me with Miss. Sabrina."_ Gengar started as he explained the circumstances towards his sudden arrival.

"**THUNDERBOLT**!" A sudden voice came as Gengar got enveloped in electricity.

"_**AAAHH! FUCK! SHIT!"**_ Gengar cursed as it was fried to the bone….err Gas?

Snivy duly covered little Scraggy's ears.

"_You MORON_!" Pikachu yelled as he came into the clearing. _"I told you to wait! Why the hell did you come before us!" _Pidgeot soon came hovering above Pikachu. Pidgeot too, looked irritated, but didn't do anything.

Giving another Thundershock to Gengar for good measure, he finally pointed towards the bushes.

"_You can come out now_." Pikachu grumbled out in a less than enthusiastic tone as the bushes rustled.

'_Another one?'_

"_Hello my new comradessssssssssss_." A hiss came from the bushes as a Pokémon much familiar to most of the gang came out.

"_An Arbok_!?" Bulbasaur looked at the newest member of their squad in surprise.

"_Isss there a problem?"_ Arbok asked as he narrowed his eyes.

Bulbasaur blinked once before calmly saying _"Not at all friend, but a Pokémon of your species is certainly an unexpected capture for our trainer."_ Bulbasaur explained.

This surprised Arbok a lot. "Huh? Why so?"

_2__0 MINUTES LATER_

Arbok twitched as another shame story was told to him about how they had been defeating a Arbok with one or two moves for the past few years. Apparently, this had evolved into beating a Pokémon similar to its species, Seviper, in the recent years.

"_So… why did Ash catch a weakling like this?"_ Many Pokémon questioned.

Arbok twitched once more. '_Damn that Arbok for ruining our reputation!' _ He raged mentally. '_But no worries, I'll prove my worth to them…. Just like I'll prove it to Master Ash!'_

"_So….. anyone up for a spar?"_

**XXX**

_1 day later_

"Are you really sure you have to do this?" Delia asked her son, a tinge of worry in her voice, as she faced him on the dinner table.

Ash groaned "For the hundredth time, yes Mom."

Delia huffed "Well forgive me for worrying about _my_ son!"

"It's not like I won't like to stay around longer, Mom. But the Pokémon World Tournament is in one year, and I have to get all of my Pokémon-past and present- into shape for it. As well as get advice from some experts." Ash explained to his Mother, who still looked uncertain.

But Delia Ketchum wasn't one to stop her son from following his dreams, even if it meant that she could not spend time with him as much as before. "Alright then Ash. But stay safe, okay?"

"I wi-" Ash was about to say the obligatory response when the device on his wrist spoke up.

"Don't worry Mrs. Ketchum; it will be my duty to keep Master Ash as safe as I can!" Dexter said.

"W-Who was t-that!?" Delia asked in a frightened voice as she quickly began glancing everywhere.

Ash quickly calmed his mother down "Don't worry Mom; it was Dexter, my XtremeDex." He said as he explained the various features of Dexter to his Mother, who was awed by the advanced technology present in the little machine.

**XXX**

_The next morning_

**Ash POV**

As I stood in front of my Pokémon, I noticed with pride at seeing their noticeable growth during the short time I spent training them. Dewott looked much fitter after his training with Blastoise. The large turtle had helped out Dewott in his Water attacks, teaching him how to reduce the power wasted and increase the efficiency. These types of things were extremely necessary for Pokémon working on any kind of Rescue squad; Firefighting was no exception.

Staraptor looked buffer than before. The reason being Infernape and Pignite. Since Staraptor was one of my most efficient Pokémon, I wanted him to get more efficient in close quarter combat as well. The result was the learning of _Close Combat_ by Staraptor.

As far as I noticed, these were the only two major changes in my team members. The others were improving, true, but at a lesser rate.

But that won't be a problem.

We'll work on it during the year!

"Ready for our new journey guys?" I asked my Pokémon, who roared collectively in agreement. Almost all of my Pokémon had smiles on their faces.

They were as excited as me for the upcoming Tournament.

"I am gonna rotate all of you every week, okay guys?" I said to them. While none of them looked sad, they were all a bit disappointed. The past few days had been kind of like out of a dream for them, training all together with their trainer.

"So for this week, Dewott, Noctowl, Kingler, Snorlax and Croconaw are gonna come with me." Snorlax looked a bit sad; he had been counting on Ash to leave him so that he could laze up a bit.

Kingler and Croconaw looked the most excited out of the bunch, seeing as to how they were going on a journey after so much time.

"Kookie Kookie!" Kingler said in his usual distinctive voice as he quickly ran in my direction. Croconaw did a little dance, its movements a bit slower now that it was bigger than Totodile. Snorlax created mini earthquakes where he walked as he moved towards me.

Kingler finally jumped on me with surprising speed, seeing as how its speed was probably among the largest found in Kanto. "HAHA! Calm down buddy!" Kingler began spraying bubbles on me from its mouth, not the ones used for _Bubble Beam_ attack, but the innocent kind used for Bubble Baths.

Not wanting to have my entire new outfit ruined due to Kingler's soapy bubbles, I quickly recalled it. Pikachu laughed at my expense.

But when a sudden shadow fell upon us, we nervously looked back.

Standing in all of his 8 feet glory was Snorlax, looking in a positively evil manner towards me.

"SNOOOREEE!" I could have sworn that it was sarcasm that came from Snorlax's impossibly happy voice.

Snorlax's wide smile looked too wide to be real. "Uhm… S-Snorlax? A-Are you all right b-buddy?" I asked rather nervously as I looked towards my huge Pokémon.

"Snooorlaxxx!" Snorlax's smile, if that was possible, grew even wider, as he extended his arms motioning for me to give him a hug.

"A-Alright n-now S-Snorlax, that's enough." I squeaked out. Snorlax's eyes were visible now as he moved forward to hug me.

I could have sworn I had never been as utterly terrified as I had been after seeing Snorlax's eyes.

"P-Pika?" Pikachu looked even more scared now as he sat on my shoulder.

"NOOOOOOO!" "PIKAAAAA!"

This was the day that I experienced what it felt being crushed by a mountain.

**XXX**

_5 Days later…_

_**Johto International Port**_

A raven haired teen ran out of the ship, jumping onto the docks from a moderate height. A great number of people were startled at the abrupt display, but soon payed it no mind.

A small, yellow colored Pokémon jumped off from the same height with a resounding cry of its name, landing expertly next to the Raven haired boy.

"Ready Pikachu?" Ash asked to his long time partner.

"Pika!" Pikachu pumped its fists as it jumped onto Ash's shoulders.

"It's good to be back in Johto…" Ash muttered, a nostalgic smile on his face. He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air.

"And I hope you have been waiting for me….."

Ash took a determined look towards the region in front of him.

"…..Larvitar."

**XXX**

**A/N: **Boy Ash surely is in for a surprise; ain't he? *wink wink*

Okay, seriously now, is **'Ain't'** a word or not. I really want to know now. The fucking red lines always come under it…

I hope you guys have been enjoying the story so far, things are gonna kick it up a notch in the next chapter!

Answers to a few questions that a reviewer PM'd me…. Ten times.

Is Ash going to catch new Pokémon? Yes.

Is Ash going to be awesome in this fic? Yes.

Are Ash's other friends going to have a big role? Yes.

Is Tango Charlie the fastest rising Author of Fanfiction? Yes.

Yes! YES! YES! (**RESPECT THE BEARD!**)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yo, here's the new chapter fellas! Some nice plot development, as well as debut of some of the past characters.**

**I do not own Pokémon, but I would like to challenge Nintendo to a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Best two out of three!**

**Note: After reading the chapter, please read the A/N at the bottom, it's got some important information.**

**XXX**

_**Johto...**_

"I _**seriously**_ hope that you've been waiting for me Larvitar….."

Ash grunted as he pulled himself and Pikachu over the mountainous edge from which they were dangling.

"…Because if you're not…..then I'mma _** .Ass**_."

Ash and Pikachu had been making their way up Mt. Silver to look for Larvitar, but an apparent mistake in Dexter's map lead to one thing to another, and ultimately Ash and Pikachu found themselves precariously dangling off of a particularly high mountain edge.

The Johto region was known far and wide for its famous mountain ranges; and most of all, Mt. Silver. Quite simply, the region was known to battling fanatics as the one where extremely powerful, and _rare_, Pokémon were found in abundance.

Tyranitar, Salamance, Pupitar, Steelix, Metagross… you name it….. And there damn sure is one somewhere hidden in the mountains.

Naturally, many measures were taken to protect these Pokémon from capture by criminal organizations and poachers. While the matter of protecting Pokémon was indeed there, the main worry in the minds of the League was the potential destructive capabilities of these Pokémon. The past was full of legends where ancient Tyranitar and Metagross destroyed village after village in their rage.

The legend of Godzilla was known to come from an abnormally large Tyranitar.

Pokémon Rangers were deployed in the hundreds to look after the mountainous ranges. Ash had met up with Ranger Manson to get his permit to catch Pokémon in the region legally, otherwise he might have been apprehended by one of the Johto Elite four.

The raven haired boy continued his journey along the hazily created walkway as he recovered from his minor mishap. While roadways were created on the mountains, there weren't many methods to keep them maintained. Road maintenance usually took place once or twice every year, but despite their best efforts, Pokémon like Diglet, Dugtrio, Onix, Steelix and… basically every other Ground and Rock type Pokémon destroyed the roadways quite easily.

Pikachu let out a tired 'Chu' as he lay on Ash's head. The little guy was dried up due to the long walk they had taken under the scorching sun. Apparently, Ash wasn't much better as he constantly wiped up his forehead.

"THAT'S IT!" Ash screamed to the heavens as he leaned against a shady tree. He enlarged a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it forward.

"Noctowl, I choose you!" The Pokeball opened with a flash as a brown colored bird appeared. The bird had a 'shiny' aura around it, and had a much different coloration than the other Pokémon of its species.

Noctowl made an odd noise as he sat on Ash's other shoulder, accessing the situation as it always did after coming out from its Pokeball.

"Noctowl, buddy, I want you to take a look around and see whether there are ay Larvitars around, okay?" Ash said as he showed Noctowl a picture of Larvitar and its evolutions on his XtremeDex.

Noctowl nodded as he took off. A shiny aura encompassed Noctowl as it flew, its alternate coloration the reason for it.

Ash took this moment to look into the moves his current party knew. While he _had_ scanned them all while at the ranch, it was admittedly difficult for him to remember everything.

"Dexter, show me the attacks that Dewott, Snorlax, Noctowl, Kingler and Croconaw know." Ash said as the XtremeDex lighted up from its sleep mode.

"Of course sir-

"_**National Pokedex Entry #502: Dewott**_

**This Dewott has the Ability: Torrent  
This Dewott knows the Attacks: Water Gun, Hydro Pump, Water Pulse, Aqua Jet, Razor Shell, Ice Beam, and Rest"**

"Wow….. Snorlax _actually_ taught Dewott _Ice Beam…"_

"_**National Pokedex Entry #99: Kingler**_

**This Kingler has the Ability: Sheer Force  
This Kingler knows the Attacks: Mud Shot, Bubble Beam, Hydro Pump, Crabhammer, Metal Claw, Brine, Hyper Beam, and Ice Beam."**

"Most of Kingler's attacks are based around his Claws….. I've got to make him more diverse..."

"_**National Pokedex Entry #159: Croconaw**_

**This Croconaw has the Ability: Torrent  
This Croconaw knows the Attacks: Crunch, Aqua Tail, Hydro Pump, Ice Fang, Thrash, Super Power, and Dig."**

"What the frig!? Croconaw learned _that _many moves, just by evolving once!? That is just crazy.…"

"_**National Pokedex Entry #164: Noctowl**_

**This Noctowl has the Ability: Insomnia  
This Noctowl knows the Attacks: Dream Eater, Sky Attack, Hypnosis, Psychic, Zen Headbutt, Synchronise, ExtraSensory, and Shadow Ball."**

"… Noctowl's actually pretty well rounded. Almost as if it's a Psychic Type….." '_If only I could teach him Teleport….'_

"_**National Pokedex Entry #143: Snorlax**_

**This Snorlax has the Ability: Thick Fat  
This Snorlax knows the Attacks: Body Slam, Headbutt, Mega Kick, Mega Punch, Hyper Beam, Ice Punch, Ice Beam, Tackle, Protect, and Rest"**

"…..And that finishes it up. I don't really know what I can teach Snorlax….. Maybe speed…. Or staying awake during battles?" As Ash pondered over his thoughts, Noctowl had already made its way back, and by the looks of it, had definitely found something of interest.

"What's the matter Noctowl?" Ash asked the normally calm Pokémon as it hooted wildly.

Pikachu apparently understood what its friend was speaking, as he started pointing towards a particular direction frantically.

"Is something happening over there?" Ash asked. Getting an affirmative reply from the duo, he quickly packed up his bags and followed Noctowl towards the area where it was pointing to.

Jumping over shrubs, ducking under stray branches, and dodging the occasional Bellsprout, the surroundings changed rapidly from a rocky landscape to a more grassy area.

The situation became much clearer to Ash as he neared the area. Multiple explosions and stomping noises now clearly audible as he reached the clearing. Bursting out from a few bushes, Ash, Pikachu and Noctowl assessed the situation.

Three trainers, around 10 years old, were battling, and losing, against a wild Pokémon. Their own Pokémon, a Totodile, a Tailow and a Quagsire were sprayed out, defeated. Their opponent, a massive green colored armored monster, stalked menacingly near the scared shitless trainers.

The massive Pokémon was none other than a Tyranitar….

Ash immediately took action; he couldn't let these kids be injured after all. "Dewott, I choose you!" Due to Noctowl knowing mostly Psychic type attacks, it won't be much use against a powerful Dark type like Tyranitar…

**XXX**

_A few minutes earlier…._

Tyranitar let out another annoyed growl as it finished off the annoying little pest in front of him. A Totodile, if his memory was correct. The little guy had battled valiantly, but he couldn't stand in front of his might.

"Oh no! Even Totodile is down, what are we going to do now!?" One of the kids screamed hysterically as he watched the downed form of his Pokémon.

"Shut up Rickie! It's your fault that he is attacking us anyway, why the heck did you attack it!? Now he's probably going to kill and eat us!" The girl of the group nearly cried as she saw the knocked out form of her own Tailow.

Tyranitar sweatdropped as he heard what the girl was saying. Did she seriously think that he was going to kill them? He ate rocks and mountains for god's sake.

Having been raised in a human environment, Tyranitar knew the human language quite well.

"Don't worry Julia, I'll protect you! Quagsire come on out!" The last kid yelled none too bravely as he called out his Quagsire.

Tyranitar shook his head. The kids were annoying him even more than before.

"Quagsy! Use _Hydro Pump_!" The kid yelled confidently as Tyranitar stiffened up.

The newest enemy before him looked a bit stronger than the ones before, the blank expression on its face was probably one developed after several hard death matches…..

"Quagg…" Quagsire let out a dimwitted cry as it launched the _Hydro Pump_ in a completely different direction.

….or _probably _not. If he could have, Tyranitar would have face planted, but alas, he had an opponent to humiliate. Charging up a quick Hyper Beam, he launched it towards the blue colored water type.

"OH NO! QUAGY DODGE!" The cry had no effect on the beady eyed Pokémon as it scratched its head. Immediately after, the Hyper Beam hit it dead-on, knocking it out instantly.

"SHIT! Your stupid Quagsire doomed us all Jimmie!" Rickie yelled in panic as the last of their Pokémon went down.

Tyranitar was feeling a bit annoyed now…

….. screw that, it was downright pissed. He moved with a dark look towards the terrified trio, intending to scare them off, when a sudden yell alerted him.

A voice so familiar to Tyranitar that it made it freeze.

"Dewott, use Hydro Pump!" The familiar voice yelled before Tyranitar even had a chance of looking at the direction from which it came.

**XXX**

As Ash yelled for Dewott to attack, he breathed a sigh of relief at diverting the Tyranitar's attention from the three obviously rookie trainers.

But he couldn't help the feeling that he somehow knew the Pokémon in front of him…

"Sir, it's a rampaging Pokémon, should I call for SOS?" Dexter inquired.

"Nah.. I have a feeling that we can take care of it ourselves." Ash said confidently as Dexter blinked its screen in the affirmative.

"Dew!" Dewott gave an enthusiastic cry as a jet of concentrated water escaped its mouth, much stronger than the one used by Quagsire. The Hydro Pump moved at break neck speeds towards the behemoth.

Tyranitar was apparently surprised by the sudden attack as it was hit with a loud crack. The Hydro Pump made the Tyranitar skid backward a couple of inches, but nothing more. Tyranitar groaned as the water seeped into the few openings its Armor had.

'_This is one tough Pokémon… taking Dewott's Hydro Pump without flinching shows that…..'_ Dewott had been able to topple two trees while they were training, so for Tyranitar to shrug off the move so easily….. Damn.

Seeing that the attack was showing no positive effect, Dewott eased the strain. The Hydro Pump stopped immediately, finally allowing Tyranitar to face us.

However, instead of showing anger or outrage at being attacked, Tyranitar's eyes and expression showed….. Familiarity? However, Ash's surprise immediately turned to one of sheer fear as Tyranitar finally started its course of motion.

As if possessed by some spirit, Tyranitar began walking, then running towards Ash at speeds not capable for a Tyranitar to achieve. "Dewott use Aqu-" Before Ash could even complete his frantic cry, Tyranitar comically kicked Dewott out of the way, with the Pokémon squealing off into the nearby bushes.

"Oh no! He's going to kill that person!" Julia wailed out as she, Rickie and Jimmy watched with unadulterated fear.

Pikachu now jumped off its Trainer's shoulder and ran towards the charging Tyranitar. Its cheeks sparked with malicious intent, the Thunder attack seconds away from launch… only for Tyranitar to scoop up a bewildered Pikachu into its arms.

"Pika?" Pikachu blinked as Tyranitar put it on its shoulder.

As Tyranitar continued its run towards Ash, the teen remembered every one of the people who had ever helped him… death looked that certain to him.

"Sir, I would just like to say that my last few days with you were the best ones in my short life." Dexter admitted as it scanned the situation from its camera.

Ash smiled thinly. "As it was for me Dexter. Thanks for all the help."

"Of course, it _is _due to your stupidity that we are going to be obliterated..." Dexter couldn't help but make one last snarky statement. Ash really wanted to argue that the SOS call wouldn't have mattered anyway since the nearest Ranger office was 10 miles away….. But in the face of certain death, he allowed Dexter the one last victory.

When Tyranitar finally reached Ash, he was hoping for some quick slash or elemental attack, but instead…. Tyranitar picked him up in a… Hug?

'_So… it's trying to squeeze me to death? Oh well-'_

A sudden lick on his face alerted Ash to open his eyes…Wait what!? "Why the hell did Tyranitar lick me!?"

**XXX**

Tyranitar quickly kicked the nuisance off into the nearby bushes as he made his high speed run towards the Human Pokémon duo he kept the closest to his heart.

'_Pikachu….. And __**Father**__…'_ Tyranitar kept repeating the two words in its head as he moved towards the person he constantly thought off ever since the day they left him with his mother.

Pikachu came running towards him. _'Probably wants to greet me first!'_ Tyranitar thought excitedly. Nevertheless, he quickly scooped up Pikachu and continued his run towards his '_Father'_. '_Father looks quite shocked.'_ Tyranitar thought absently as he faced Ash.

Seeing Ash make no move, Tyranitar initiated the course of action. Picking up Ash in a tender, loving hug, he licked Ash's face.

"Why the hell did Tyranitar lick me!?" Came the confused voice of the teenage boy currently in Tyranitar's iron grip.

Tyranitar froze. '_Does…. Does Daddy not remember me?'_ The Dinosaur Pokémon thought despondently. Indeed, after looking at Ash's and Pikachu's faces, it was quite clear to Tyranitar that the duo did not recognize him.

Ash blinked confusedly as Tyranitar's arms loosened, allowing him to escape and make some distance between him and the Pseudo Legendary.

Ash's first thought was to order Pikachu to attack Tyranitar, seeing as he was in such an advantageous position….

But Tyranitar's actions confused the heck out of him '_Why would Tyranitar hug me? It's as if….. as if…. As if it already knows me….. but how is that possible? Larvitar's mother had a scar-'_

Ash suddenly froze. "Are…." He swallowed thickly "Are you L-Larvitar?" He questioned the giant entity.

Tyranitar's face immediately regained its color as he nodded happily. "Tyra!" Tyranitar let out a loud roar in happiness.

Pikachu was in a similar state of shock to his trainer. The massive, living, roaring behemoth of destruction before him was the once wimpy _Larvitar!?_

Ash immediately ran forward to properly hug the green colored dinosaurian Pokémon. "It's so, _so _ good to see you again Larvitar." Ash whispered as he rubbed the green armor on Tyranitar's back.

"Ra." Tyranitar muttered amusedly as he pointed towards himself, causing Ash to chuckle.

"Yeah, Yeah…. You're a big bad Tyranitar now. So what? You'll always be the little Larvitar I raised from the egg for me." Ash's words caused Tyranitar to smile happily in response, although he did hope that Ash started calling him by his proper name. It would be extremely embarrassing for him in front of a female Tyranitar to be called Larvitar by his Father.

Tyranitar then turned its attention to the yellow colored electric mouse on its shoulder, picking him up and giving him a few affectionate licks. Just like how Snorlax had done during the Sinnoh League.

Meanwhile, the three children watched with shock as the previously murderous looking Pokémon hugged the newly arrived trainer. All three of them believed that the Tyranitar would kill the new entrée, but much to their utter shock and disbelief… he began behaving like an over affectionate Growlithe around him?

'_What the Frig?'_

Ash then turned his attention towards the three children present in the vicinity. Remembering his initial reasons for coming here, he ran towards the trio after quickly patting Tyranitar one last time. Noctowl followed Ash towards the trio, intending to help the knocked out Tailow.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Ash asked in concern as he quickly picked up Julia, who had slid to the ground among all this terror.

Julia felt her cheeks redden as the handsome black haired trainer picked her up. "T-Thank you…"

Ash merely smiled at her, before turning to the other two, who were staring at him in shock and awe. "So… are you two alright?"

"How… How did you stop that Tyranitar!" Ricky yelled in a voice that startled Ash.

"What?" He asked dumbly, not properly grasping the question.

It was the third boy, Jimmie, who asked. "How did you stop that Tyranitar from rampaging?" Jimmie asked calmly, but the awe in his voice was quite clear.

Ash smiled. "I knew him from a long time before. I left him as a Larvitar back here, it's fortunate that Tyranitar remembers me." He chuckled.

"Wow…." The three rookies were astounded that a _**Dark**_ Type Pokémon could remember, and more importantly, be so affectionate to some person.

Ash quickly called Tyranitar to their position, making the trio shudder in the presence of the Armor Pokémon.

"Ah, don't be scared guys, Tyranitar won't harm you. Isn't that right Tyranitar…." Ash asked in a stern tone to Tyranitar, who pouted a bit at being reprimanded, but nodded nonetheless.

"I-If you s-say so…" It was then that the three rookies realized that they didn't even know the name of the person who rescued them.

"Ash. My name is Ash Ketchum!" Ash said, seeing the three becoming confused.

"Nice to me meet you Ash." Julia said happily, the action was mirrored by Ricky.

But Jimmie looked at Ash with even more shock. "A-Ash Ketchum? As in Ash Ketchum, the Unova League winner?" He asked, making the other two widen their eyes as well.

Ash grinned as he pointed a thumb towards his face. "The one and the only!" Ash's proclamation was followed by an extremely girlish squeal from Jimmie, who had gotten a Pen and Paper out of nowhere.

"Please, Mr. Ash Ketchum, forgive this humble fan from not recognizing your greatness!" He crowed, making Ash, Pikachu and Tyranitar look at him with beady eyes. "The Pikachu on your shoulder should have made me aware of thy presence, but it seems my mind was seemingly playing tricks on me eyes!" Jimmie rambled on in a starry eyed manner.

Before the boy could embarrass himself even further, Ricky fortunately covered his mouth. Julia looked towards Ash with embarrassment. "Please forgive him Mr. Ash; it's just that Jimmie is a very big fan of you." She explained to Ash who looked towards the girl in disbelief. Pikachu, and Tyranitar were also looking on with beady eyes.

"Fan of mine?"

"Yes. Ever since he saw you defeat Tobias's two Pokémon in the semi-finals, and then win the Unova League, he has been a very big fan of you. He actually started his journey this year in order to meet and challenge you to a Pokémon battle." Julia said further. Meanwhile, Jimmie had gotten free from Ricky's hold and immediately stood in front of Ash with the pen and paper.

"Can I _please _get your autograph Mr. Ketchum, you are my biggest inspiration… of course after Lance, Cynthia and Steven Stone…." Jimmie said enthusiastically to Ash, who had gotten over the initial shock and grinned as he signed up the paper.

"Sure, no problem!" As Ash signed the paper, Jimmie immediately put it securely in his pocket.

"So…. Julia here told me that you guys have started out this year?" Ash asked the trio, who nodded with smiles.

"Yeah, the three of us had our birthdays pretty close by, so we decided to go on a journey together." Ricky explained.

Ash smiled at that. "That's good! You should always travel in groups, that way you'll have a much more fun and safe journey." Travelling alone was for people like Paul, who took their jobs way too seriously.

"So what are you guys going to do? Contests and Gyms are closed, so what are your aims?" Ash asked curiously as he sat down on the soft grass. Noctowl had helped up Tailow with its Psychic powers, and Quagsire and Totodile had already been recalled by their trainers.

Ricky was the first to respond with a confident grin "We are going to take part in the Pokémon Champions League, of course!"

Ash raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? You are all rookie trainers, are you sure you all are up for something of that level?" He asked testily.

Jimmie was fired up at that question. "What kind of a question is that!? Of course we are ready, we will train as hard as we can, and then I will win the Champions League to become the Pokémon Master of the world!" Jimmie said enthusiastically.

Ash smiled thinly at seeing the three then bicker about who was going to win the league. '_These kids are so much like how I was when I started up….'_

Ash stayed with the three for some time, but eventually left them to continue on his own journey. While he would have liked to guide them through many of the training methods, he chose not to. After all, one of the biggest parts of growing up as a Pokémon Trainer was to establish bonds with one's Pokémon with the multiple hit and trials. He did promise of Jimmie that he will one day face him in a Pokémon battle.

**XXX**

_Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh_

"Ahh, it's good to be home!" A bubbly voice rang out as the door of Johanna Berlitz's home opened.

"Dawn? Is that you?" A voice came from the kitchen as Dawn and Piplup made their way to the Living Room.

"Yeah mom, its me!" She replied back. She did hear her Mom starting to warn her about something, but she was too damn tired from her journey to really care.

'_Man…. I am going to crash on my bed all day..'_ She thought absently as she walked to the Living Room, Piplup happily help in her hands.

"Wonder what's on TV to…..day? KENNY?" She looked in surprise towards her childhood friend, who was comfortably sitting on the sofa, sipping soda.

"Hey Dee-Dee!"

Apparently, Kenny wasn't alone, "-BARRY!?" She looked in even more surprise towards her Blonde haired friend, who was sitting next to Kenny.

"YO DAWN!"

But it was the third person in the room who shocked her the most. "PAUL!?"

"Hn."

Dawn stared at the three with wide eyes for a few seconds, silence all over. Kenny and Barry kept their smiles up, Paul shifted awkwardly.

"What the heck are you three doing here!?" Dawn finally blurted out, just as her mother entered into the room with a tray in her hands.

"Dawn!" She looked at her daughter with wide eyes. "Is that any way to treat your guests?" She admonished, before turning to the three boys, snacks present on the tray. Kenny and Barry thanked her, while Paul made a grunting voice that came close to it.

Dawn blushed in embarrassment before asking once more, but with curiosity rather than shock "Seriously, what are you guys doing here?"

The three looked at each other, before nodding towards Barry. "How is Ash's training going on Dawn?" Barry asked excitedly.

Dawn deadpanned at the three anticipatory faces "Really? You guys came from your home towns to my home, a year after we had last met, only to ask how Ash's training going on? No 'How are you Dawn' or 'I hope your journey was nice Dawn'?"

Kenny immediately grinned "Well, how are you Dawn!"

"Not you Kenny, I know that you will say it a thousand times if I wanted you to." Knowing that Kenny had a crush on her was by far the most profitable thing in her life.

Kenny immediately blushed in embarrassment "ITS NOT LIKE THAT ANYMORE DEE-DEE!" Before Dawn could yell back, Paul immediately cut them off.

"We are sorry for being here so suddenly Dawn, but Ash's victory in the Unova League has simply…. shocked us all. So we want to know what he's doing now." Paul explained.

Dawn grinned "Ash is training hard for next year's Champions League, he and _all _of his Pokémon." This statement drew confused looks from the trio.

"All of his Pokémon? How many are there exactly Dawn?" Barry asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"More than thirty of them, and some of them are so cute!" Dawn gushed a bit as she remembered Scraggy, Bayleef and Snivy.

Paul however, focused on the first part of her statement "Hold on, Thirty? Are you sure there were _that_ many Pokémon?" Paul questioned.

"Of course! Look, if you don't believe, then come, I'll show you on the official website." Dawn said as she moved towards the computer in the Living room.

"What website?" Kenny asked blankly. The look was mirrored by Barry and Paul.

Dawn looked disbelievingly at the trio "You mean you three don't know about the official Pokémon website?" At the three shakes of heads, Dawn sighed as she turned on the computer, muttering about 'Boys' and 'One track minds'.

Barry, Paul and Kenny jostled for space around Dawn, making the poor girl suffocate for air. Finally, the internet connected as Dawn started up the website. Kenny looked a bit sullen since Dawn's computer had wallpaper consisting of a group photo of Dawn, Ash and Brock, along with Pikachu and Piplup, but didn't comment on it.

"Here we are… Trainers… Kanto…. Pallet….. Ash Ketchum!" Dawn listed out as she clicked on the various links necessary to go to a Trainer's profile. Just as she clicked on 'Ketchum, Ash', a page opened with a passport sized picture of Ash, with his various Achievements and Data listed around. After scrolling downward for a few times, a group of photos showcasing his various Pokémon came up.

"See, I told you there were more than thirty!" Dawn said in victory as the three boys looked with contemplation towards Ash's Pokémon. Though Dawn did noted that a few of the Pokémon, like Primeape, Butterfree and Lapras, she hadn't seen at the lab.

"Wow…. Ash actually has a pretty well rounded squad." Kenny praised. _'Wait. Does that mean that Ash could have easily defeated me back when I battled his Buizel? Empoleon is my strongest Pokémon…. Yet I just barely won against Buizel.'_

"Indeed….. The question is, why didn't he use them in the Whirl Cup or the Sinnoh League? He might even have been able to defeat another of Tobias's Pokémon." Paul said as he narrowed his eyes.

"And not to mention the fact that so many of his Pokémon are unevolved. If they reach their full evolutions… scary…" Barry shivered as he imagined just how powerful Ash's squad would be if all the Pokémon reach their full potential.

Paul was in deep thought. '_I never imagined that Ash could have so many Pokémon. Even I have travelled through Sinnoh, Kanto and Hoenn…. Yet I have 24 Pokémon… I haven't even journeyed Johto and Unova.' _It seems that there was more than what met the eye to his rival.

"So… you all are also taking part in the Champions League?" Dawn asked as she faced the three boys.

The trio looked at her as if she were stupid "Of course Dawn, the Gyms are closed, Contests are in active, the only thing that we could possibly do is train for the Champions League. And what about you?" Kenny asked.

"I don't really have a choice, you know. Someone has to put Ursula in her place." Dawn's face turned into a smirk as she said that. With all the extra training she did after parting with Ash, there was no way Ursula was going to win against her.

Kenny smirked back at her "Don't dream too much Dee Dee, me and Empoleon have been training pretty hard; we might as well win the whole thing!" He boasted.

However, Kenny's statement was met by a pout from Dawn "Why Kennyyyy, I thought you would be supporting me…." She said with watery eyes, and a cute expression as Kenny turned beet red.

"A-Ah! I-It's not like that D-Dawn! I will support you, I mean-" Kenny started to explain before hearing Dawn bursting into laughs.

'_Yeah, __best__.__thing__.__ever'_ Dawn thought as a chibi version of her made a victory sign.

"Now Now Kenny, Dawn already has a boyfriend. And Dawn, what if Ash knows about this, hmm?" Johanna chided as she came into the room.

This caused a pin drop silence around the room. A multitude of expressions were seen on the faces of the people present in the room. Dawn turned as red as tomato as she stared unbelievingly at her mother, Kenny's face twisted into a horrified expression, Barry balked and Paul's eyes widened, as if a sudden evaluation was made to him.

"MOM! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT _**ASH IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND**_!" Dawn screamed at her mother, who was sitting as calm as ever.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT THAT THE REASON YOU DIDN'T COME WITH ME WAS DUE TO ASH! WHY DAWN? WHY DID YOU LIE!?" Kenny sobbed as waterfall tears fell from his eyes.

"ASH IS YOUR BOYFRIEND! HOW? WHEN!?" Barry screamed. Even though he didn't have any reason for giving such an exaggerated response, Barry didn't need a reason to be hyper.

"Hn. Ketchum's quite lucky." Paul said over the screaming, which stunned everyone present in the room, even Dawn's mother, to silence.

"Dude….." Barry made out. His face was twisted into a comedic expression, resembling shock and bafflement.

"What the hell? Why did you say 'Ketchum's lucky'?" Kenny asked in a baffled voice.

Paul shrugged as he got up from his seat "Why not? Dawn is a very pretty girl, so it's natural that Ketchum is lucky. Seeing his stupidity, it's even more astonishing how he managed to do it. I wonder if he would give me a few tips." Paul mused as he walked out of the house.

A strange silence fell over the Berlitz household as the door closed. Dawn's mouth resembled a gaping fish; Kenny and Barry were twitching, unable to make any intelligible sound. Dawn's mother wondered whether her daughter would ever forgive her for insinuating Ash as her boyfriend in front of these boys. **(1)**

**XXX**

_**Back to Johto…**_

"Tyranitar, Croconaw, Kingler, Noctowl, Snorlax, Dewott, come on out!" Ash yelled as he threw the six Pokeballs towards the open space. The reason he could carry Tyranitar's Pokeball with him was due to leaving Pikachu's Pokeball with Professor Oak back in Pallet. Seeing as no matter what the situation, Pikachu _never_ got into his Pokeball, Ash decided that it was a waste of space to carry it.

Pikachu agreed quite readily with the '_Waste of Space'_ part.

"RA!" "CROC!" "KOOKIE" "TOWLLL!" "Lax." "DEWATT!" All of the Pokémon came out with enthusiastic cries of their names…. well all except Snorlax.

Croconaw, Kingler and Snorlax looked at Tyranitar with surprise, seeing as they had not met him before.

Dewott glared half heartedly at the beast of kicking him into the bushes.

"Yo guys, I have brought you all out to meet our new, or should I say old friend, Tyranitar!" Ash smiled as he pointed to the Armor Pokémon. Tyranitar cordially nodded at the group, with the action mirrored by the others, although they did look a bit intimidated by the Pseudo Legendary.

Suddenly, Croconaw began yapping happily towards Tyranitar, who looked at the Pokémon with confusion. After a few seconds, even Tyranitar grinned at the little Croc as it banged its tail against Croconaw's.

"So you two recognized each other after all…" Ash murmured as he looked at the two happily conversing Pokémon. He hadn't expected for Tyranitar and Croconaw to remember each other after so much time, not to mention after both of their evolution.

Ash took this moment to scan Tyranitar for the first time with his XtremeDex. "Dexter, show me the information of our beast." Ash decided to call Tyranitar with the nickname of 'Beast'….. It quite suited the green Armored Pokémon.

"Of course sir-

_**National Pokedex Entry #248: Tyranitar**_

_**Tyranitar, the Armor Pokémon. Tyranitar is so overwhelmingly powerful; it can bring down a whole mountain to make its nest. This Pokémon wanders about in mountains seeking new opponents to fight. It is the evolved form of Pupitar.**_

**This Tyranitar has the Ability: Sand Stream  
This Tyranitar knows the Attacks: Ice Fang, Fire Blast, Sandstorm, Rock Slide, Thrash, Dark Pulse, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Brick Break, Iron Defense, and Giga Impact.**

"W-Wow….. Are you sure this is correct Dexter?" Ash asked in disbelief to the sentient Pokedex, who blinked in the affirmative.

"Holy shit."

**XXX**

_**Team Rocket Mother Base: Johto**_

"I must say I am impressed by your work in Johto…. It's a vast improvement from what I've come to hope from you in the recent years." A cold, condescending voice came as Giovanni looked over the forms of three of his stupidest, or smartest, recruits of all time.

Jessie, James and Meowth gulped collectively as they stood in position before Giovanni. While they could talk to Boss on the various means of communication, talking to him face to face was an entirely different experience.

"Thank you sir." James said as he made a short bow.

Giovanni waved him off. "What else have you three got for me from Unova?" He asked as the three stiffened. While their main job _was _indeed carrying out Espionage and Subterfuge, the matter of stealing Pokémon for the 'Cause of Team Rocket' was always the secondary objective.

"U-Um…. We haven't really got-" Jessie started while nervously rubbing her hands before Meowth cut her off.

"Of course Sir! We hav got 'ta best Pokémon for ya! Da Pokémon we used in Unova are all yours!" The cat like Pokémon said with a nervous laugh as Jessie and James looked at him with surprise.

"All right, good job." Giovanni said, the smallest hint of a smile on his face as he took the four Pokeballs from the hands of the three operatives.

The trio were just making their ways out when Giovanni's voice stopped them. "On second thought…. Keep your Pokémon. From what I've gathered, you two have a….. Adequate team with you, so I want you two to keep as many Pokémon with you as you could." He ordered he tossed them back the Pokeballs. With the way Team Rocket's plans were going on….. all of their operatives had to be as well equipped as they could be. '_Not to mention these three idiots are now privy to many of our dealings in Unova…. If they get captured, it could prove extremely detrimental to Team Rocket.'_

"A-Alright sir!" Jessie and James exclaimed as they caught their Pokeballs. While they didn't have much of a time to create bonds with their Pokémon, it didn't mean that they wanted to give them away.

Giovanni touched a few of the icons on his computer, with a couple of screens showing Jessie and James's profiles coming up.

"The database shows that you, Jessie, have a Seviper, Yanmega, Wobbuffet, Woobat and a Frillish. And James has… a Carnivine, Mime Jr., Yamask and Amoonguss." He noted as Jessie and James nodded.

Giovanni nodded "It's satisfactory. Go and collect your Pokémon from the Inventory." He ordered.

"At once, sir!" Jessie saluted as she, James and Meowth quickly made their way out.

**XXX**

"Dr Zager, how is the project coming around?" A gruff voice ringed out in a darkened room as a man in Lab Clothes held some files on the TV screen.

"I must say that it's been coming along better; and faster, than I had ever expected. Namba is surprisingly co-operative." The man named Zager said as he read out few of the files.

Giovanni didn't give any hint of emotion, just a narrowing of his eyes as he spoke next " 'Better' doesn't cut it Dr Zager; it has to be the best. Dr Namba and you are the best minds of our Organization, and it is very fruitful when you two work together."

"O-Of course sir! Project 'Dark Gene' will be ready in a maximum period of about six months, while Project 'Psy' might be ready even faster!" Zager said as he showcased a couple of charts to Giovanni, who scrutinized them closely.

"How have you made any progress in Project 'Psy'? The subjects were proving notoriously difficult to deal with?" The man in the purple suit asked curiously as he looked over the reports sent to his computers. 'Psy' was one of the projects that he had inherited from his mother; along with Team Rocket, and one where no one was able to make a breakthrough, no matter what.

Zager's eyes gleamed as he adjusted his glasses, but before he could respond, another figure came into view.

Dr Namba.

"Hello Sir. As Zager was saying, we have made a major breakthrough in the matter of Project 'Psy'. Efforts to control the subjects have been more successful as of late, and the number of….. 'Failures' have been reduced too." The failures weren't without their own merit though.

"Enough with this." Giovanni ordered as he looked over the duo with cold black eyes. "Tell. Me. the. Reason." He nearly growled as he looked over the two doctors.

Zager glared at Namba for putting them in the situation, before turning back to Giovanni. "The reason being one of our new recruitments. He has been notoriously successful in subjugating the Test subjects."

'_New recruitment?'_ "Who is he?" Giovanni asked as his arms remained folded, one of them stroking the ever present Persian on his side.

"He is quite famous in the region of Unova, sir. And he has pledged allegiance to our cause, as long as we keep funding his research, his name is-" Namba was cut off as another figure joined the duo on the screen.

Giovanni's jaw dropped when he saw the man in front of him, literally. Never in his life had he imagined _this _man to appear between him. Slowly, a smirk came to his face. Seeing the greatest scientific minds in the world, at one place, working under him….. for once, even Giovanni was stunned.

The youthful looking man looked calm as ever. The small, almost serene, smile on his face remained unchanged as made a short bow before Giovanni. "Hello, Sir. My name is Colress, and I am your latest recruit."

Giovanni gave a sinister chuckle as he looked at the various files sent over to him by the three scientists. '_Finally… everything is going along with the plan.'_

**XXX**

"Hey guys!" Jessie greeted as Seviper, Yanmega, and Wobbuffet crowded around her; happy to see their master after nearly a year apart.

Some ways apart, James was engulfed in Carnivine's huge jaws, with Mime Jr. happily floating around.

"_Carnifine, lef me ouf!" _James muffled out in pain as he tried to pry himself out from Carnivine's mouth. The Pokémon itself was happily showing its love towards his trainer in the manner best known to it.

Meowth sighed "Guess som'tings never change." He casually waved to the group of Pokémon around him. James took huge gulps of air as Carnivine finally let him out. James often wondered just wy ddi all of his grass types showed so much affection to him; and in _so _painful ways!

"Ya know James, Cacnea and Victreebel were the same around ya." Meowth idly noted as he stood near a happily smiling Carnivine.

James grumbled at that. "Well at least Amoonguss is serious about battling." He noted with thanks towards his Unova capture. Nevertheless, the mention of Victreebel did make James's heart ache. The lovable Pokémon had been with him since many days, only for him to mistakenly trade him away. _'I can only hope you are happy…. Wherever you are Victreebel.'_

Jessie snapped her fingers "Oh yeah. Guys meet our new squad members, Frillish, Woobat, come on out!" She said as she tossed the two Pokeballs attached to her waist.

Frillish and Woobat came with the respective cries of their sub species, as they curiously took note of the Pokémon surrounding their masters. "Ish?" "Woo?" They questioned Meowth.

"Wait. Amoonguss, Yamask, I choose you!" James said the two Pokeballs on his belt clicked open with a flash. Amoonguss and Yamask stood; and floated, with confused faces along with Frillish and Woobat, that is until Meowth explained the situation to them.

"Dese are da ol' Pokémon of Jessie and James guys." Meowth explained as the Pokémon smiled at each other.

Except for Amoonguss, he looked as if someone had just farted in his mouth. Nevertheless, he cordially nodded at the enthusiastic Carnivine, who tried to get him in his mouth.

Well…. Otherwise everything went well for the large group. Seeing their Pokémon interact with camaraderie and friendship, and then looking over at the other corner where a Houndoom and a Mightyena, belonging to the same 'Trainer', battled with ferociousness; not for the first time did Jessie and James wondered-

'_Is this the place where we really belong….?'_

**XXX**

_**Back to Johto…**_

**Pokémon POV**

"_So you're all Father's Pokémon…._" Tyranitar noted as he looked at the group of five before him, their faces gaining confused looks.

"_Father? But we are Ash's Pokémon."_ Dewott said with a confused face.

"_I think that he was mentioning Ash when he said Father, Dewott."_ Noctowl said as he assessed Tryanitar's words.

"_But why would he call Ash as his Father?"_ Kingler asked to Noctowl.

Tryanitar cut off any response the genius bird might have given _"Because it was Ash who raised me from my egg, at least until I reunited with my birth mother. So he essentially is my Father."_ Tyranitar responded.

Meanwhile, Croconaw looked with a smirk towards the Armor Pokémon.

"_So….. little Larvitar evolved after all.."_ Croconaw mused as he faced the behemoth before him.

"_Yeah…. And I see that little Totodile is still a little guy."_ Tyranitar said condescendingly. This caused a frown to appear on Croconaw's face.

"_And what do you mean by that big guy?"_ The Croc said as he took a step forward.

"_Nothing…."_ Tyranitar said rather nonchantly as a smirk came onto his face.

'_I really don't like the attitude from the new guy…'_ Was the thought going through Noctowl's and Kingler's head. Dewott was still a bit sore over the rather easy way he was disposed of by Tyranitar, and Snorlax just didn't care.

"_You think you're the strongest here?"_ Dewott asked challengingly as he stepped forward, an action that was mirrored from Tyranitar.

Tyranitar gave haughty look to the otter Pokémon _"I don't think so… I _**know**_ so."_

Croconaw had had enough _"Wanna prove it?"_ The Croc's ran a tongue over his elongated canine as he face Tyranitar without flinching.

The towering beast grinned with malice as he faced the three and a half foot croc. "_Anytime…. Anyplace…"_ Noctowl, Kingler and Dewott shifted with unease at the bad blood between two of their squad members, but knew that if bad came to worse; Snorlax would be able to subdue them enough for Ash to take care of the matters.

Fortunately, before the situation could escalate, Pikachu came between the duo, cheeks sparkling with dangerous intent. _"What's the matter over here?"_ He asked commandingly to Tyranitar, who cringed a bit before regaining his previous smug attitude.

"_Nothing… we were just having some…_ _**'Male Bonding'**_." Tyranitar said sarcastically as he moved away from the place towards Ash, intending to spend a bit more time with his 'Father'.

Pikachu sighed. '_Well_, _that certainly wasn't unexpected. Larvitar has spent so much of its life in the wild; such things are normal. Atleast Garchomp didn't get a big head after evolving…' _Pikachu turned towards Croconaw, who was glaring at the back of the Dinosaur Pokémon.

"_Crocs, you know he's still got the mind of a kid, right?"_ Pikachu asked as he faced his long time friend.

Croconaw merely scoffed _"Doesn't mean the kid has to be such an asshole. I can guarantee you that neither Charizard, nor Garchomp will dig his attitude."_ Croconaw said with an amused smirk. He still remembered the days when he played with Larvitar; that made it even more annoying for Croconaw.

Pikachu stifled a chuckle as he imagined just how Charizard and Garchomp would handle Tyranitar's big head. _"Nevertheless…. Don't pick up a fight with him, from what Dexter told us, he has got some extremely powerful moves."_ Pikachu warned Croconaw, causing him to frown. '_Might even be due to separating from his mother after evolving.'_

"What the heck is up with you guys? I can take Tyranitar, I won't lose!" Croconaw said stubbornly, causing Pikachu to tiredly rub his head.

He just couldn't live his life in peace and harmony now; could he?

**XXX**

**A/N: Wow! So Ash gets back Tyranitar... And he's got quite an attitude!**

**Anyway, I think I owe all of you awesome guys and gals a huge thank you for showering the last chapter with so many encouraging reviews! **

**Also, I reread the past chapters, and I must say that they pretty much sucked. Seriously guys, I am working without any Beta, so it's simply not easy for me to correct every mistake before posting. Nevertheless, I rehashed those chapters, and added a little extra content as my way of saying- 'Sorry for the shitty chapter!'**

**The scene with Team Rocket….. I know many of you might be pissed at the perceived 'OOC-ness' of the trio; but in my opinion this is canon. Jessie and James have been shown to have strong bonds with their Pokémon, example being Arbok, Weezing, Dustox and Cacnea. And anyone frequenting Deviant ART can have a knowledge of what the 'Dark Gene' experiment is.**

**(1): This was just a comedic part of the chapter, don't take it much seriously. It won't likely have any lasting effects on the story. This also does not ensure that the story would be Pearlshipping, Penguinshipping, Ikarishipping or whatever. Nothing is set in stone as of now.**

**Till next time, Tango Charlie O.U.T!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I do not own Pokémon. I don't know who started the trend of writing such disclaimers, but know this…**

**Whoever you are….**

**I will find you….**

**And I will make you watch the entire season of Honey Boo Boo…. Twice.**

**XXX**

"Let's step it up guys! Dewott, Croconaw, Hydro Pump once again! Snorlax, Tyranitar, keep on running, just two more laps to go! Kingler, try to hit Noctowl! Noctowl, use different Psychic type moves to counter Kingler! Pikachu, continue trying to hit the three boulders!" A young, definitely male, voice range out in one of the many leveled out areas in the Johto mountain wilderness. A loud, unified roar… and a whine, came in response.

Ash himself kept on doing his own exercises. Having recognized his faults, Ash had decided to work upon one of the many Trainer Workout manuals integrated in Dexter.

"I *huff huff* can't do any…more!"

Naturally, he found it quite hard to follow.

"One more sir! Just one more and your 50 pushups will be complete!" Dexter was kept in an upright position on a nearby boulder, as its camera faced Ash. While Dexter couldn't "see" in the traditional sense of the word, he could damn sure count the number of pushups Ash had completed.

Grunting with effort, Ash pulled himself up one last time, promptly falling down into a tired heap afterwards. Ash's Pokémon League hat, the one he wore on his first journey, was duly kept beside Dexter. His normal Jacket was off, leaving Ash in his black colored undershirt. His everyday denim jeans were also replaced by the track pants he had packed for his journey.

'_Damn…. This is much harder than I thought…'_ As Ash lied on the ground in a pathetic state, he wondered just why the heck did he not take the time to properly exercise. While it was true that he always journeys on foot, it was also true that they used to take a lot of breaks in between.

The _fake _cheering audio coming from Dexter didn't help manners. While the smart machine followed orders dutifully, and was mostly productive, that didn't stop it from having its fun once in a while. Namely, by being a complete prick.

Ash pulled himself up against the rock, and despite it not being a thing suggested by Fitness experts, took huge gulps of water. The water produced by the Water type Pokémon was as safe to drink as any bottled water. Also, it contained the necessary nutrients which prevented it from being classified as distilled.

As he looked over the sparse clearing before him, he was much impressed by what he could observe from his Pokémon.

Pokémon had a metabolic and healing rate that far defied any level of rational thinking. Being gifted with super-powers made it a must-have for every Pokémon to have a higher than ordinary healing rate. Non-sentient beings such as Cows, Buffalos and Chickens didn't have any such advantages; a single weak blow might have been enough to kill them.

As if showcasing these advantages, both Dewott and Croconaw flexed their recently built up muscle. Despite having evolved recently, and even less time being through the hard training, both of them had built up quite a lot of strength in their arms, for Dewott, and jaws, for Croconaw.

Dewott's main method of attack were through his prized scalchops. So it was extremely necessary for Dewott to build up a lot of strength in his arms to properly use them with deadliness. It would result in even better results once Dewott evolved into a Samurott.

The raven haired trainer had also included weight training in his regime. Things like heavy lifting and strength training helped the Pokémon to build up their raw strength. While Ash knew that his Pokémon could easily complete such feats while using their abilities, he wanted them to be capable of doing such things with raw power alone. If there was one thing that he learned from watching the battle between Cynthia's Garchomp and Flint's Infernape, it was that not only were they abnormally powerful; they were so even without using their attacks.

Ash hadn't been able to fathom just how had Flint's Infernape been able to reach such a high level; while his own didn't even graze the surface of it. Chimchar was also the Sinnoh starter, but that didn't mean that every trainer's Infernape reached that level. Now, after seeing the impressive improvement in his Pokémon, they secret wasn't that foggy anymore.

Despite how it looked, Cynthia wasn't a teen. She was 27 years old, and had her Garchomp since she was 10, as a Gible. So add all those years of super intensified training, a Dragon type Pokémon, a family full of Pokémon trainers, and you've got a monster on your hand. Adding to this was the fact that Garchomp was a Pseudo Legendary.

'Pseudo Legendary' wasn't just a fancy term for rare and powerful Pokémon. No, these Pokémon had the extreme possibility of reaching the beyond….. The level of Legendaries themselves. Pseudo legendaries had bodies that were more than capable of taking the punishment required to reach such high levels.

The past was full of horror stories featuring these Pokémon in the lead role. Salamance were the most feared Pokémon by the Kings, their Castle destroying abilities were nigh near Legendary. Add to that the nature of Salamance to breathe fire in their celebrations burned down many a wooden village. Garchomps were notorious for being overly protective of their territories, so man's encroachment into their lands wasn't taken too well. Hydreigon and Tyranitar were Dark types, making them more inclined from causing wide scale destructions.

Only Dragonites were a kind of saving grace for the Pseudo legends reputation. The kindly Dragon type maintained a calm and clear demeanor. Also, it helped to rescue as many beings from the seas as it can. With the fishermen and Vikings having mostly a single loyal Pokémon for their safety, an attack by a Pokémon like Tentacruel and Gyrados meant almost certain death, either by a powerful attack, or by starvation in the sea. Lucky sailors often recited tales of their saviors, large yellow colored Dragons, with wings tiny enough to fit into the palm of their hands. Naturally, such people were almost always termed as delirious.

Dragonite's hadn't even been considered a true Pokémon for much time, unlike their land counterparts like Haxorus, or even fellow fliers like Garchomp, Hydreigon and Salamance, they rarely ventured out of the seas they so loved. It was Professor Oak who had trained a Dragonite and showcased his extensive studies to the world.

But just as Haxorus, Salamance, Garchomp and Hydreigon, there was no god that could save one from a thoroughly pissed off Dragonite. Ash had already experienced a fraction of that untamed power when he, Iris and Cilan had first met Iris's Dragonite.

In an age where Pokémon trainers were rare and Pokeballs a mere figment of imagination, humanity had had a hugely difficult task in surviving against the monstrous beings now fondly known as Pokémon.

But that didn't mean that 'normal' Pokémon couldn't reach that level. The Pokémon belonging to the Elite Four and Champions were examples of this, keeping the major Criminal Organizations under control from causing major terrorist attacks.

Ash knew that he had been lucky when Tyranitar accepted him as his trainer; most Pseudo legends wouldn't have been so easy to tame. Tyranitar was one of the more feared ones. But Tyranitar loved Ash so much; it was nigh near impossible for him to turn on him.

Coming back to the matter at hand, Ash had deduced a lot of things, for example- by building up a Pokémon's raw punching power, attacks like Mack Punch and Dragon Claw unleashed would be much more powerful. It was the same as the theory behind weights, if the Pokémon get used to doing things with restraints, they would be unstoppable without them.

That being said, Ash wasn't going to be unrealistic. He knew that despite how much time he spent on it, Torterra would never move like a Rapidash. Things like size and build did matter.

Also, as Ash spent more time with the group of seven, he realized just how smart had he been while keeping the 'Six Pokémon on hand' rule. Despite popular belief, it was indeed possible for many trainers to carry a lot of Pokémon with them. While keeping all of his Pokémon would have been a very exciting thing, by following the six Pokémon rule he was able to scrutinize his Pokémon much better.

**Kingler**. The huge crab had much guts and enthusiasm, but sadly the years of battle rust had got to him. From what Ash had been able to observe, Kingler knew a lot of powerful moves, and knew how to use them with devastating effectiveness as well! But that's where his merits stopped. Kingler employed a stationary battle style, which was something Ash knew he had to modify. While Kingler _could _back up all of the power, Ash wasn't stupid enough to think that all of his opponents will be as weak as "The Amazing" Mandy.

**Dewott**. The Scalchop wielder was young; but _damn _if he wasn't motivated. Dewott proudly showed off the better qualities associated with evolutions that made them so much popular. Better speed, more endurance, increased muscle mass, increased capability to take hits... But Dewott did have his faults. His klutzy nature hadn't changed much upon evolving, so he used to screw up once in a while. Ash knew that he had to get Dewott more consistent. Not to mention his habit of springing out of his Pokeball could prove detrimental at times.

**Croconaw**. The fastest growing Pokémon of his entire crew; Croconaw exhibited a raw strength and power comparable to Blastoise. If Ash had to guess, he would deduce that it was because of the years of laid off evolution that he bloomed so much, so quick. Croconaw used his jaws with devastating effect, easily crunching up the hardest of rocks with ease. Nevertheless, he knew that Croconaw was soon going to reach the third stage of its evolution line, which would create a whole new headache for the poor old Professor Oak. Garchomp and Feraligatr combined… Ash repressed a shiver at the damage they would cause at the ranch. Garchomp already had gotten into multiple scuffles with the insanely powerful Arcanine of Professor Oak's due to his environment UN-friendly ways.

**Noctowl**. The smartest Pokémon of his crew, Noctowl had an unusually quick thinking. Professor Oak had confessed to him that while studying Noctowl, he had described him as an 'Anomaly'. Noctowl, despite being a flying type, could use Psychic moves with an effectiveness associated with only Psychic types. Noctowl didn't have many flying type moves in his arsenal, which could prove detrimental in the tournament. While a pure Psychic using Noctowl _could _take a lot of people off-guard, his strategy would be in ruins after the first few stages. His opponents could easily deduce how to counter Noctowl. The shiny Pokémon had never been particularly strong in the areas of speed and strength; those were the things he needed to improve.

**Snorlax**….. well, what could Ash do about him? Snorlax had excellent endurance, as well as having some pretty powerful moves in his bag of tricks. Snorlax knew multiple damage dealing attacks of different types; an advantage of being a Normal Type. Despite being big, Snorlax had a pretty quick reaction time and good running speed too. He had already demonstrated his above average swimming capabilities in his battle with Clair. So all in all, Snorlax was Ash's 'Jack of all trades'. A Pokémon who could prove advantageous against almost every opponent. The only thing Ash needed to worry about was Snorlax's sleeping habits.

**Tyranitar**, the newest entrée. Tyranitar had some insanely powerful moves in his arsenal. Brick Break, Hyper Beam, Thrash, Giga Impact… Ash had full belief that Tyranitar could Total anyone's team in the earlier stages, even if it were a full 6v6 battle. Charizard, Garchomp and Sceptile were the other three of his Pokémon capable of similar feats. Tyranitar also had a beast of a defense, even better than Torterra. For some reason, Tyranitar knew the move Iron Defense, a defense boosting move not associated with its species. It was the improved version of the _Protect_ he used when he was a Larvitar; when anyone got too close to him, not named Pikachu or Ash. But despite all this….

….. Tyranitar had an absolutely abysmal speed. Seriously, Tyranitar couldn't even chase after Dewott after the Water type played a prank on it! Instead, Tyranitar chose to deal with things with brute force. In this case, a low powered _Hyper_ _Beam_ on the unsuspecting Otter. But even then, the speed of Tyranitar was something horrible. Even Torterra could run faster than him. That was something Ash knew that he had to absolutely improve. Speedy Pokémon like Sceptile, Garchomp and ….. Latios, could effectively destroy Tyranitar in a serious battle.

Not to mention Tyranitar had developed quite an attitude, and ego, in his time away from Ash. He had also taken quite a liking to his nickname of 'Beast'. It fit like the pants of a man with five penises; like a glove.

All in all, Ash had his work cut out. His Pokémon had full faith in him, and thus put their bodies on the line. True, they liked to battle; it was their instinct. But it was for _him _that they put so much effort. And he wasn't going to betray them by going half assed in their training.

Breaking from his internal thoughts, Ash got up and jogged towards the area where his Pokémon were training.

Croconaw and Dewott showed exceptional strength with their _Hydro_ _Pumps_. The jets of water were much thicker than before. This allowed for a greater chance of a critical hit. A well trained Onix could take a normal Hydro pump and continue fighting. But the version which the duo was using could easily knock it out. Also, Pokémon like Magmortar, whose bodily flames were enough for them to shrug off such moves. So it was all the more necessary for water types to have exceptional strength.

Also, Water types were the single most effective type of them all. Able to score critical hits on most Pokémon, all the while taking less damage from their foes. It was no wonder Ash wanted his Water types to be as powerful as they could be. Taking the Champions League as his cue to finally foray into the detailed and convoluted world of Type advantages and disadvantages was a certain experience for Ash.

A few ways apart, Kingler had just finished up a _Crab_ _hammer_ attack, but Noctowl had been able to successfully defend using… some Psychic moves. It was difficult to recognize the attack. Nevertheless, Crab Hammer did cause some damage to the environment, creating a moderately large crater on the ground. Both of the Pokémon had dirt and cuts on them, showing that both had been able to score hits on the other.

In another corner, Pikachu let out a cry as it launched a Thundershock. Only this time, he attempted to engulf the three boulders surrounding him in different spheres of energy. Thundershock was a attack that sent streams of energy all around the attacking Pokémon. What Pikachu was trying to do was centralize the attacks around specific targets, causing a more intense damage. It was similar to a Thunderbolt, but only it affected multiple targets. Ash's main idea behind this was for double battles.

Pikachu could use a Concentrated Thundershock to paralyze and keep their opponents in place, while his partner could destroy the other Pokémon with some super effective move. Pokémon like Donphan could work very well in such strategy.

In a far off corner, Tyranitar was running diligently. If there was one thing that Ash had immediately come to admire about Tyranitar, it was his will to prove himself. Tyranitar never defied Ash's orders, and had taken criticism very well. He recognized that his speed was not up to par and thus followed Ash directions over how to improve it. Charizard had wings, Garchomp had thrusters, but Tyranitar had a bulky armor. Ash knew that it was not possible for his Beast to run or move as fast as his contemporaries, but Tyranitar could get much better. Another advantage that Tyranitar had was that he was an adept swimmer. While Charizard's life could be threatened in water, and Garchomp didn't tolerate it much, Tyranitar despite his Type didn't feel much discomfort in water. That was an advantage in battles where the field could change.

Snorlax….. Ash couldn't help but sweatdrop at seeing the giant Pokémon. Snorlax had tears, real tears, going down his face as he run up a slope half heartedly. He paused momentarily to choke back a sob, all the while looking towards Ash.

He sighed. The Puppy dog eyes were too much. "Snorlax, if you complete your run, I will give you three super food pills."

Snorlax immediately perked up at that and started running with much more enthusiasm. The ground around him shook as a multitude of small Pokémon escaped. Nidoran, Graveler, Oddish, Pidgey, Starley and Tailow among them.

The super food pills were a new invention designed especially for Snorlaxes, by the Silph corporation. Seeing as Snorlax trainers couldn't well carry the huge quantities of food required to feed their precious Pokémon, the scientists at Silph had designed the micro compressing food pills which satiated the hunger of the Pokémon. Two pills each were to be given to Snorlax as the three meals of the day. The super food pills had beaten the food shrinking containers designed by Devon, their rival company.

All of the seven Pokémon were training very well. Both Dewott and Croconaw could now maintain their Hydro Pumps for longer amounts of time, showing that their stamina had increased. Croconaw's other moves were also coming along well, particularly Aqua Tail.

Things were coming along well for Ash Ketchum and his Pokémon….

**XXX**

_**Hoenn**_

"It's good to be back!" The princess of Hoenn exclaimed as she entered her house for the first time since over a year ago. Having journeyed in Johto for a second consecutive year, and then visiting Ash's house took quite a toll on the young brunette, and she was completely ready to laze it out till the Champions cup. Well, not completely. She did intend to train a lot for the Cup.

"Welcome back May!" Her father was sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper. Norman Maple was enjoying the holiday he had got from the League. Due to the Champions League being open to even Gym Leaders, the League had decided to close the Gyms, so that even the Gym Leaders get ample time to train and create strategies for their teams.

Caroline engulfed her daughter in a bone crushing hug, happy to see her in the person after so much time.

"Its soo~ good to see you May! After your brother left on his journey, it's been really quiet around the house." Caroline commented as she looked over her daughter. May had grown a lot during the one year she spent in Johto, and was now finally maturing into a young woman.

"Thanks mom. And how's Max? Has he called?" May asked as she took her seat .

Norman grumbled from his place, causing May to look quizzically at him. "It's nothing May. Your father is just sulking because Max has gone farther in his journey than he himself did." Caroline explained.

"I'm not sulking…" Normal grouched from his place. Seriously, the amount of distance Max had covered, as well as the different types of Pokémon he had seen and caught; were far better than what Norman had done in his day. Naturally, this had hurt Norman's man pride.

May giggled at her father's expression, although she was quite impressed by the things Max had achieved during his two month long journey. Max was bereft of the rookie mistakes made by Ash during the start of his own journey, as well as May's own. Travelling with Ash and co had already made Max experience and learn just how to travel efficiently.

"So how many Pokémon has Max captured?" May asked rather nonchantly. There was no way Max could have caught more than two Poke-

"Four."

May sprang up from her seat "WHAT!"

Norman nodded "Yup, that was what my reaction had been."

"What Pokémon has Max captured?" May asked in extreme curiosity, although she knew that it must be some starter weaklings like Tailow, Rattata or even an Oddis-

"Mightyena, Kirlia, Abra." Came the deadpan reply from Caroline. All of them were Pokémon that Max had encountered in during their travels.

May didn't really know what to do. Should she be happy for her brother being so adept at being a Pokémon trainer? Or should she weep at being so outclassed by her brother at the initial stage?

**XXX**

_Pokémon Center, Veilstone City, Sinnoh_

"Your Pokémon will be all right in a few hours, you can stay here if you like." Nurse joy said as she took the batch of six Pokeballs from the purple haired trainer in front of her.

"Thank you nurse Joy. And by the way, can I use the Computer present here?" Paul asked the Nurse with a calm demeanor. The natural steel in his voice was absent as he conversed with Nurse Joy, the reason being their acquaintance from many years past.

Joy smiled "Of course Paul, you are free to use it. And if you don't mind my asking, why didn't you take your Pokémon to Reggie?" Not that she had a problem with him coming here, it was just that Paul preferred to have his Pokémon treated at home. She was curious about why Paul expressed an interest in using the Computer, although knowing the type of person he was, she didn't pry.

"Our training was a bit…. Harsh. I'd rather not trouble Reggie." Paul explained, while Joy nodded at the answer. Along with the Chancey present next to her, both entered into the ward room present next to the Operation Theater. The faint smell of antiseptics hit Paul as he made his way to the generic computer present in the Pokémon Center.

Paul wasn't a tech-savvie person. He didn't even give much care for such things other than for what purpose it served his Pokémon.

Logging on to the website that Dawn had shown him; albeit with much trial and error, Paul opened up multiple profiles of the various rivals he had encountered throughout his journey. '_Ash… Barry….Tobias… Remy… Hernandez..'_ the last couple were his Hoenn and Kanto rivals. From what he could see about them, both had remained as he had predicted them to be; average. Hernandez believed in having his Pokémon evolve as soon as they can, leading him to spend too much money on Evolutionary Stones, and catching only the Pokémon who react to them.

This naturally caused a huge gap in his team. He only had Pokémon of a few types, and unlike the Elites, they weren't invulnerable to the types they had the advantage against. Hernandez had reached the Top 8 in Johto this year, which was a fine position is Paul's eyes, but nothing compared to him.

Remy. That guy had been one who had given him the most problem while he was in Kanto, the second year of his journey. Dude had a knack of making excellent strategies, kind of like Conway, but didn't really have the power to back it up. Remy had also reached the Top 16 in Hoenn, as well as Top 8 in Sinnoh, which was again the mark of an average trainer.

Or maybe it was him who was raising the bar too high. '_After all… we are all 16 years old. We aren't 'supposed' to win the League. We are the newbie's, the trainers who are eliminated in the initial stages. But then again, Ash did win Unova, and I did reach the Sinnoh League finals this year.'_ That had been a bitter loss. Reaching the Sinnoh finals had made Paul overconfident, leading to his loss against some 28 year old guy. Not to mention his two powerhouses, Magmortar and Electivire, had been ineligible due to suffering debilitating injuries in the Semi Finals. His Torterra did take out two of the other guy's Pokémon, but lost nonetheless.

Going to Ash's profile, Paul calmly read through the page, taking his time, before wondering whether he should curse out loud in the Pokémon center or not. Coming to a conclusion, he took a deep breath and prepared to let loose-

"You're such a cutie pwie!" Paul looked towards the nearby window, where little kids were playing with newly born Pokémon. Pokémon centers allowed for children to visit the newly hatched Pokémon in their care.

-or rather not. Still, the information found of Ash's page simply stunned him beyond comprehension. From what he could see, Ash's Pikachu had been able to defeat to defeat a Regice. Or, to be precise, _Brandon's _Regice. '_How the flying fuck is it possible that Pikachu can defeat a REGICE, yet still lose against my Elekid!? He even knocked out Tobias's Latios! It is totally fucked up!'_ Paul ranted in his mind. He thought that was the end of surprises for him, but no, that was not to be.

Apparently, Ash's Charizard had been able to defeat an Articuno, an _Articuno _of all things. '_Why the heck didn't Ash use it against Tobias?'_ Oh wait! There was more! Apparently, Ash had a Snorlax stashed up, who also didn't make the cut against Tobias. Rather, Ash chose to use Torkoal.

No offense to the squinty eyed Pokémon, but he simply didn't match up to Snorlax.

Ash had won the Kanto Battle Frontier, he had won the Orange league, whatever it was, and then, he had always scored in the Top 8 in the regional leagues, bar his prodigious performance in his debut in the Indigo League, where he got Top 16. Wishing to see the interesting strategies which caused his rival to lose, he clicked on the video showing the battle between Ash and someone named Ritchie…

_20 minutes later.._

-on second thought, that wasn't really prodigious. '_Goddammit! Ash reached the Top 16 in Kanto by pure luck! And the only reason he lost was due to his asshole Charizard!'_ Paul almost had anime tears going down his face at the luck of his rival. He himself had only managed a Top 64 in the Sinnoh championship in his debut. A record number of participants had taken part that year, so Paul had defeated three competitors to reach that level. Which wasn't a bad accomplishment in itself.

But Ash had performed to an extremely high degree by pure luck alone! And that was something that majorly irked Paul.

Then came the thing which, in all honesty, was a _BURN BITCH _moment for Paul. Apparently, Ash had won the Kanto Battle Frontier. '_And that means he defeated Brandon…'_

Paul also took note of varying Pokémon Ash had in his arsenal. He had to admit, now that he got enough time to observe, Ash's Pokémon really had much potential. While he himself wasn't too far out, his number of Pokémon were a bit less. But then again, most of Ash's Pokémon were poorly trained, so that did provide him an advantage.

Another thing that caught his notice was the ridiculous number of starter Pokémon present with Ash. The Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova starter trio were a extremely rare group of Pokémon, which only a few of the lucky trainers got to have. And that was if they were lucky enough to be in contact with their regional professors.

Oddly enough, there was no mention of Ash's Unova League victory on his personal profile. Rather, there was a large UNOVA FLASH NEWS sticker above his profile picture, which Paul presumed took the viewers to a page containing his victory. '_They really need to update better…'_

Getting rid of the thoughts, he clicked onto the profile of Tobias, and was rather shocked, or should he say suspicious, by the information, or lack thereof, on the Legendary Trainer's profile.

Tobias's profile was empty. Literally empty other than his most recent accomplishments. His win against Ash and the two Legendaries he used were proudly displayed on the screen. Tobias's hometown was empty, his Pokémon caretaker name was empty, no family. The only noteworthy information was that Tobias's home region was Sinnoh.

Another thing of interest was that four other Pokémon of Tobias were indeed indicated, but their names had been censored by the website. What could possibly be the reason for something like that?

Tobias had not yet faced the Elite Four; the challenge was to come sometime this year. '_Ash did take out two of his Pokémon, and he wasn't even using his full squad… So maybe Tobias could actually be defeated by someone of the Elite Four? It's not unbelievable that Tobias has many powerful Pokémon. But the thing is… _

…_.. Does he have even more Legendaries…?' _

Paul was about to sign off on that note, but it was then that a sudden news flash caught his eyes. It had stickers of *NEW* *NEW* around. Taking a closer look, Paul clicked on the link. He was even more surprised to see that it was news related to the Hoenn League. Or, to be more specific, showing who was the new Hoenn League Winner. Seeing as he had time to kill, he clicked onto the link. Not to mention, whoever the guy who had won the League was, was definitely going to be a major contender in next year's Champions League.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he would see next.

'_What the utter frig!?'_

**XXX**

_Johto…_

"Goddammit come back!" Multiple Tailow and Starly sitting in the canopy of the trees tilted their heads in confusion over seeing an orange haired boy running after something, something which showed no immediate sign of stopping anytime soon.

"Slow down!" The orange-head yelled once more as the Sandwich expertly jumped over a couple of bushes. It was almost as if it had a mind of its own!

As the Kimono wearing boy chased after the rolling sandwich, he ignored all of the loud booms and bangs coming from the direction he was heading into.

Jumping out of a particularly bushy shrub, the Orange head grinned at seeing his sandwich finally stop. The bread was miraculously unharmed by any amount of dirt and grime and looked totally fit to eat. Carrot top quickly ran towards the Sandwich, almost in slow motion.

But it was not to be...

_A few feet away.._

Snorlax grumbled to himself as he jogged forward. While he was all for getting stronger, did Ash really have to make him do the thing he hated the most? He wasn't supposed to run dammit!

But then again, three super food pills were almost like god's gift for Snorlax, so he had to swallow his pride and laziness, and get down to work. Thankfully, he could laze it out once he gets back to the ranch.

Suddenly, a small object entered into Snorlax's peripheral vision. Normally, he would have cared much for it, only running around it in case it was a little one, but it was the sudden scent which stopped Snorlax cold.

Turning towards the direction, he finally saw it. The object of his salvation, the Holy Grail, the Kryptonite to his training…

An innocent Sandwich, sitting quietly in its place, almost taunting him. '_Foul Temptress! I won't fall to your stupid machinations!'_ Snorlax thought to himself resolutely stopping himself from going towards the food, a feat comparable to stopping a locomotive train.

But it was then that Snorlax saw the second thing. A boy, no older than his Master, running gleefully towards the Sandwich. The sight was too much for the hungry Snorlax. With rage, and food-lust filled eyes, Snorlax took off towards the Sandwich at an otherworldly speed.

Morrison's slow motion run towards his dear Sandwich had continued, but it was then that the huge obstacle came to his vision. His eyes widened with fear as he saw a Snorlax running in the same direction, towards his Sandwich. Clenching his fists, he narrowed his eyes at the Snorlax, sparks flowing out as he increased his pace.

Snorlax recognized the increase in speed, since he too kicked it up a notch. The background turned pure white between the two as only the Sandwich was visible to their one track minds.

"_**Snoooooreeee..**_" Snorlax's voice came out in a slow motioned, low pitched version, as he skidded over one of the boulders like a punk over the hood of a car.

"_**Nooooooo!" **_Morrison's voice had turned into a demonic one, slow paced, as did a cartwheel over a fallen piece of log. With athleticism belying his body, Morrison somehow evaded the things he never could have, only for his beloved Sandwich.

Both of them reached the Sandwich almost at the same time, only a split second between them. But it was Snorlax who held the advantage, as he quickly moved his hands towards the Sandwich. Morrison extended his hands in a feeble attempt to win, but he was quickly thrown backwards after bouncing off Snorlax's huge belly.

Morrison watched in dismay as Snorlax happily ate up the Sandwich, taking extra relish in moaning and groaning in appreciation, taunting Morrison with all he could.

"**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" **Morrison screamed in absolute pain and agony as he fell to his knees, punching the ground in anguish. He would have sulked even more, if not for the voice coming from behind him.

"Morrison!?" An extremely surprised voice took hold of his attention. Morrison wondered just how was it possible that someone who he knew could meet him in the wilderness.

"Pika!" '_Wait…..a Pikachu?'_

But it was when he finally recognized the person behind that his eyes widened, and a huge grin came to his face.

"ASH!"

Indeed, it was his long time friend/rival, with his trusty Pikachu ever-present on his shoulder. Ash too, grinned as he slapped his hands with Morrison's. "Nice to see you man! It's been a long time!"

Morrison nodded, the pain of losing his sandwich long forgotten "It sure has Ash! How've you been?"

Ash smiled as he answered, it was good to meet one of his best friends after so many days, "Pretty good actually! I've been to two more regions, Sinnoh and Unova."

Morrison raised an eyebrow in interest "Wow! Unova too? I've been till Sinnoh, but Unova's kind of too far for me….." He drawled off. He didn't want to admit to Ash that the true reason he hadn't been to Unova was because of his phobia of heights. It seemed a pussy thing to say to a fellow man.

Ash nodded, although eh was a tad bit confused about why Morrison hadn't been to Unova "You should go there man, it's a really nice place, and the best of all, it's got a whole new range of Pokémon!" Seriously, more than 100 new species of Pokémon? Count him in!

Apparently, Morrison wasn't as enthusiastic as him, as he nervously chuckled while rubbing the back of his head "Ha ha! Thanks but no thanks Ash! I think I'm pretty happy here…" Seeing Ash continue to pry, he immediately changed the topic. "So Ash, have you participated in any new leagues after Hoenn?"

The raven haired trainer smirked. "Sinnoh and Unova. Both were a blast to be in."

"Really? So… win any trophies? Or the League?" Morrison, though he was sure that it must not be the case. After all, how could his eternal rival be so far in front of him? It just wasn't possible that Ash wins a league while he did not-

"Yeah! The Unova League! It was so awesome man….. the Vertress Conference trophy felt so good in my hands…"

Morrison's mind tuned out Ash. He was shocked. Utterly shocked and stunned and staggered and flabbergasted and bowled over and what not. Morrison felt himself being pulled into a never ending darkness. An endless pit of sorrow and disgrace, an emptiness greater than a Ghost Pokémon, he saw his Pokémon shaking their heads in shame at him, his sandwich being gobbled up an army of Snorlaxes… and Ash!? He could see his buddy, his rival! Oompa Loompas mockingly danced around him, singing the shittiest songs ever made. The songs were so horrible that even a hundred retarded monkeys shitting on a broken typewriter could not produce them. Ash was happily eating _**his **_sandwiches, all the while surrounded by hot mama jamas…..

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

Ash jumped in shock as Morrison started screaming all of a sudden. Morrison's eyes were glazed over as he seemed to be in a dream like state. Seeing his friend turning insane, Ash quickly regained his bearings. Taking hold of Morrison's shoulders, he shook his friend wildly, but it had no effect.

Even the ten slaps Ash gave him were not enough to pull Morrison out of his daze. Finally, having become annoyed by the loud screaming, Ash took drastic measures.

"Pikachu, use a _Thundershock_ on Morrison!" Ash shouted to his partner, who jumped into the air with a 'Pika', and dutifully Thundershock-ed Morrison.

On a side note, Pikachu looked awfully happy while doing so. '_Strange…'_

The shock therapy indeed worked as a steaming Morrison looked all around as he lay on the ground.

"Wha…. Where am I…?" Morrison mumbled as he looked around blearily. There were no Oompa Loompas, no crappy songs, no froot looking babes…

"Morrison..? You alright man?" Ash asked his friend carefully. No one should drop their guard against a person who was screaming in an insane manner almost ten seconds ago.

Morrison looked around confusingly for a few seconds, before shaking his head thoroughly and standing up. "Yeah… I'm fine Ash, no need to worry!" Although he really wasn't. The day dream really shook him up.

Ash looked uncertain for a while, but accepted "If you say so Morrison… "

Morrison nodded. Taking a deep breath, he finally smiled, a true smile, at Ash "So…. Finally won the League, huh… guess you're ahead of me now.." Keeping scary dreams, and humor aside, Morrison really was happy for his friend. He hadn't performed badly against Ash in the Hoenn League for no reason; he genuinely felt Ash to be one of his best friends and didn't want to fight against him. Their ideals about battling and Pokémon training matched up a lot. Both also shared the dream of being a Pokémon Master.

Ash felt his cheeks redden a little in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…" Ash was just about to launch into a speech learned by every successful person, to be recited to their not-so-successful friends, but it seemed Morrison wasn't quite done yet.

"YOSH! It seems you have finally attained your flames of youth Ash! Your position as my Eternal Rival is indeed justified!" Morrison screamed in happiness as waterfall tears fell down his eyes. He gave Ash a huge thumbs up and a blinding smile.

'_What the heck is the flames of youth!?'_ was what Ash could make out in his dazed state. He was still rubbing his burning eyes from the effect caused by Morrison's Coalgate enhanced smile.

**XXX**

_Underground…_

"Get outta my way you moron!" Meowth yelled angrily as he pushed his blue haired comrade out of the way.

"Gef ouf of my fwaice Jeffie!" James muffled out as he attempted to push Jessie away from him.

"Dammit Meowth! Why didn't you buy a bigger Moler Mecha Digger!" Jessie then promptly hissed in pain as her hit the ceiling.

The Team Rocket trio were back to their perpetual business i.e. Locating the Twerp, and stealing his Pikachu. Meowth had been commissioned to buy their machinery, which this time consisted of a Seviper shaped Mecha, capable of moving underground. But just as everything in their lives, Arceus found a way to screw them.

"It's not my fault we don't have the funds! If you hadn't bought all that jewoillery, we could have gotten the Super Duper versoin!" Meowth snapped back. He was having enough trouble controlling the machine as it is, he didn't need a female to bitch at him dammit!

While Jessie and Meowth continued their bickering, James took the time to look out of the window, even though there wasn't much scenery to be found.

Suddenly, the machine stopped with a clang, almost as if it had hit something hard.

Jessie blinked at the sudden stop in vibrations around her. "What's the matter Meowth?" She asked the talking cat, who was pressing all of the buttons methodically.

Meowth took a thinking pose, as did Jessie and James. "Hmm, it couild be a problem with the main engine…"

"Or maybe it's the integrated chip of the GPS….?" Jessie thought out loud.

"Can it be a Virus? The shop owner did say that installing 'Galaga' could cause some problems…" James pondered.

"Let's take it slowily guys… We learnt a loit of things in Unova, we couild fix this machine up." Meowth said with a smile as he pushed many of the buttons, taking notes of the various readings coming out.

"Of course we can!" Jessie and James also started checking up all of the internal manuals and controls.

This went on for a good ol' five minutes, before Meowth finally snapped.

"ALRIWIT! THAT'S IT! Let's do it the old fashioned way guys!" Meowth said with a scowl, with Jessie and James nodded in support.

What's the old fashioned way? You might ask, well my friends, the old fashioned way of course is-

"BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF IT UNTIL IT STARTS WORKING!"

Indeed, after a couple of minutes of brutal beatings, the machine finally whirled into a start, with the Seviper head in the front doing its job of drilling through.

However, it was after they dug through what had stopped them, that they finally regretted the decision.

The trio had sweatdrops on their heads as they saw a whole colony of underground dwelling Pokémon, Excadrill, Drilbur, Diglet, Dugtrio, heck, even a couple of Kabuto!

"Guys… is our life some kind of a sick joke?" James asked blankly as he faced the pissed off Pokémon.

"Maybe it is James…" Meowth deadpanned.

The Pokémon took great pleasure in….. escorting the uninvited 'visitors' from their place of dwelling.

**XXX**

_Back to the surface…_

"So… this is your team, huh Ash?" Morrison asked rhetorically as he faced the seven Pokémon happily eating their well deserved food.

Ash relaxed his sore muscles as he sat down on the soft grass, Morrison joining him a few meters away shortly afterwards. "Yeah… or rather one of my teams. Since I have a lot of Pokémon, I thought it would be for the best if I train them separately while making groups." He explained.

"Yeah, Most of your Pokémon here are Water Types; you can trick someone into thinking that you are aiming to be a Water Pokémon Master…" '_Seriously, Ash has some wicked Water types over here…. The competition isn't really getting easier.'_

"Well.. it's not like I had planned it or anything. I just chose the Pokémon on random. I don't like focusing of any particular type, ya know." '_And the strongest Water type isn't even here….'_ Ash thought with a small grin. But even then, he had no wish to give away such information to Morrison. Friends or not, with the upcoming Champions League, they were all rivals.

Morrison nodded in praise. "That's good Ash. Even I have been following the same kind of regime. But even then, I always keep my old buddy with me."

Ash raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. "Old buddy…. Is it Metang?" It must be, seeing as how Metang was the preferred, and the strongest Pokémon Morrison had. He followed the same routine, Pikachu always stayed with him, no matter what.

Morrison grinned as he stood up "You'd be surprised!" Tracing his hand inside his Kimono upper wear, Morrison brought out six Pokeballs, all of them in their shrinked up state. "Now that I have seen you current Pokémon, I think it's only fair that you see mine, yeah?" Morrison asked, to which Ash nodded enthusiastically, he really wanted to see the type of Pokémon his rival had gotten in the years since the Hoenn League.

The six Pokeballs enlarged as Morrison tossed them forward "Come on out guys!" Ash's Pokémon also watched with baited silence. Even they were intrigued about the identities of their possible foes.

In a brilliant flash of light, six multi sized figures materialized. In few seconds, theirs forms were truly out of their Pokeballs.

Ash gasped as he saw the multitude of strong looking, and varied, Pokémon that arrived.

A bipedal Pokémon, with a large cobalt blue body and large three-fingered hands. It had two orange gills that protruded from round patches on its cheeks. Its head has two large semicircular black fins that extend from the top of its orange eyes to the back of its head. Its tail fin is big, broad, and black. It has a white underside and orange ridged portions above its hands and three-toed feet.

A Swampert.

Another bipedal, weasel-like Pokémon with a pale gray body and several feathery areas was the second. It had a bright red crown and collar made of wide feathers, and a single, thinner feather on each ear. It had two tail feathers and three claws on each paw. There was a yellow, oval marking in the center of its forehead. Its Red eyes and protruding fangs gave for a menacing appearance.

The third one was a large Sauropod like Pokémon. It had a brown colored body, wrapped in green leaves on its chest and head. It possessed large, broad leaves on its back, used for flight.

A Tropius.

A reptilian Pokémon, green in color, was the fourth. On either sides of its head were yellow frills, which were connected by lines to its yellow lips and rings around its eyes. There were small ridges on its shoulders and a red zigzag stripe around its midsection. The hands and feet had three short digits each, and it had yellow soles. It also had a long skinny tail that was curled tightly in a spiral.

A Keckleon.

Next was a moth-like Pokémon that Ash knew all too well. It had a purple egg-shaped body and tattered, green wings with red circles and streaks. It had yellow antennae and yellow stylized compound eyes. Its legs are red and stubby, and it has a jagged fringe on its rear.

A Dustox.

The last one was what anyone could easily describe as the most impressive of the six. A large robotic Pokémon with a turquoise, disc-shaped body and four legs. The main body appeared to serve as both head and body, and this Pokémon's overall construction gave it the appearance of a mechanized arachnid. A large, metallic cross was situated in the center of its face. On either side of the cross, a red eye peers out from a space in the metallic armor. While the upper portion of the legs were relatively thin, they were considerably thicker below the knee. Each leg had three short claws on the end and a flat, blunt protrusion extending over the knee. The legs could also be tucked in, helping the Pokémon to float in the air.

Morrison's Metagross.

"Pretty good huh..!" Morrison asked with a smirk as he proudly looked at his Pokémon. He was cheering internally for choosing a strong squad for the month.

Ash was highly impressed. "Wow…. This is a really great team Morrison… and I don't recognize any of the Pokémon other than Metagross. They sure weren't with you in the Hoenn League."

Morrison nodded "Yup! Tropius, Dustox, Weavile and Keckleon were caught by me during my second journey through Hoenn. Also, feel yourself lucky, you are looking at the team which helped me to reach the Hoenn League finals this year!" Although the last part was said in a much more subdued manner than he had originally expected to. Seriously, Ash winning the Unova League!? And before him to boot!?

Ash looked in surprise at Morrison "You reached the Hoenn League finals!? Did you win?" Ash asked excitedly, before cringing at the crestfallen look present on Morrison's face.

"No man… My opponent was a real badass…. I couldn't even defeat half of his team…." Morrison said sadly. Ash was extremely surprised by that. Seeing how strong Morrison's team was, he couldn't fathom just who could have been powerful enough to crush his team like that.

Ash put his hands on Morrison's shoulders in support. "Don't worry Morrison. You can defeat that guy in the next years Champions League, you just gotta train hard. I know how bad it was for _me _when I lost to Tobias in the Sinnoh semis…" Ash was jerked violently as Morrison turned to look at him in shock and disbelief.

"Tobias…. Did you say Tobias?" Morrison's voice came out as a whisper.

"Yes….." Ash drawled out, unsure of what he should say.

Morrison looked at Ash with a serious gaze "Mysterious looking guy…. Has a cool looking hat….. uses Legendaries…. Starts with Darkrai?" Morrison asked Ash, who nodded.

"Yup, that's his MO. But how do you know that Morrison?" Ash asked. Did Morrison see Ash's battle with Tobias?

"Because he was the guy who beat me." Morrison said seriously. Ash would have spit out his coffee if he was drinking any.

'_Tobias won the Hoenn League too?' _Ash was stunned by what Morrison would go on to tell him next. Apparently, Tobias didn't just win the League; he did it in the same fashion as he did in Sinnoh. He used Darkrai against every opponent of his. 6v6, 3v3, it didn't matter. Tobias's Darkrai was undefeated until he reached the final match against Morrison. But what caused Ash's jaw to drop, quite literally, was the second Pokémon which Morrison told Tobias took out.

"A Suicune!?" Ash asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, a Suicune. The guys destroyed half of my team with it. Metagross was able to do some damage, but the sombitch was so fast that even he didn't fare too well against him." Metagross lowered his head in a little shame, although Pikachu tried to cheer him up.

Ash decided to share with Morrison a news that would cause an equal amount of shock to his rival. "Morrison, you might have been just the second person ever to defeat Tobias's Darkrai. I did so too in the Sinnoh Semis..." This statement caused Morrison to look at Ash in a whole new light. Darkrai was a crazy strong Pokémon with amazing endurance. He knew it all too well. "…but the second Pokémon he used against me wasn't Suicune, it was a Latios." Morrison's eyes widened at that. '_Yup… definitely the desired response…'_

"So… that could mean that Tobias has even more Legendaries?" Morrison gulped.

Ash wasn't faring much better. He knew better than perhaps anyone else just how powerful Legendary Pokémon could be. His previous confidence against Tobias had stemmed from the fact that he had believed Tobias to have just two Legendary Pokémon; Darkrai and Latios. While he could think of a hundred different strategies to defeat the two, six legendaries might just be too much for his team…

On the sidelines, Pikachu watched with growing annoyance as his Trainer and his friend went into depression over facing a Trainer. That wasn't the attitude Pikachu expected from the two! Looking towards Metagross for permission, Pikachu jumped into the air, and gave a mighty cry.

"PI-KA-CHUUUUU!" A huge Thundershock hit the two trainers, who were promptly singed as they twitched on the ground uncomfortably.

"W-what w-was t-that f-for Pika P-pal…" Morrison barely made out. Ash groaned in support of the statement.

Pikachu promptly got on his back two legs as he faced the two trainers. Folding his arms in a scolding manner, he promptly gave a dressing down to the duo.

"Pika. Chu cha Pika pi. Pika chu chu chika pi pi pika chu cha Pikachu cupikachupi chu pika. Chu pi ka pi ka pi cha. Pi ka pi ka pi ka chu. Ka Pika. Chukapi, chu chu. Pikachu pika pi pi ka cha chu. Pikachu pika. Ka chukka, ka chaka, pika chu pika chu. Ka cha ka cha chu ka chu ka, pikaaaachuu." Pikachu explained, as best as he could, the value of integrity, passion, bravery, and win or lose never give up attitude, to the two.

"So… you mean to say that we could totally defeat Tobias if we train hard enough..?" Ash asked tentatively.

"And we could even win the Champions League, even though we are like a 1: 1 billion odds for it….?" Morrison asked with a similar expression.

Pikachu gave a thumbs up to the two. "PIKA!"

Metagross also grunted his acknowledgement.

Morrison and Ash stood up, new resolve filled within their youthful eyes.

"I feel sooo much better now! Ash, your Pikachu is the best motivational speaker I have ever met." Morrison praised honestly as he shook hands with Ash.

Ash looked on to Pikachu proudly. Maybe the electric rodent did have a career out of battling. "it certainly seems so Morrison."

The speech had rejuvenated Morrison's spirit, and it was just begging to burst out. "Ash, now that we are back to our older selves, would you like to have a battle!?"

Ash grinned, but before he could say yes, a loud boom caught their attention. Both the trainers, and Pikachu, whirled back towards the source of the noise, but were stunned by the absence of Morrison's Pokémon.

"M-MY POKÉMON!" Morrison started looking for his Pokémon in a frenzied manner.

Ash was about to send out his Pokémon for a search, before a voice, a familiar voice, hit his ears.

"Not so fast Twerp!" A man's voice cut through gleefully, a voice Ash knew as well as he did of his best friends.

He groaned, knowing what was about to follow. "Not these guys again….. I thought I had lost them…"

A ridiculous looking Mecha emerged from the ground. The Mecha had the shape of a bipedal robot, with a spherical container used for seating the trio. The machine also had extendible arms, along with rubber coated hands and feet. The structure itself stood up to 30 feet in height, and Ash had to admit that this was one of the better ones as of late. A large 'R' was emblazoned on the front of the Mecha.

But what caught Ash and Morrison's attention was the cage in between; all of Morrison's Pokémon were present there. The cage was small enough to prevent any movement, thus negating any chance of an attack being used, due to fear of recoil damage.

Three familiar figures emerged from the top of the Mecha. A man, a woman, and yours truly, Meowth!

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie said.

"Make it double!" James held a rose in his hands.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Team Rocket…." Ash growled. Electricity sparkled from Pikachu's cheeks dangerously.

"Return my Pokémon Team Rocket!" Morrison yelled in anger. The ridiculous motto and the accompanying poses finally reminded Morrison of Team Rocket from the time he had faced them years ago.

The trio laughed in glee "Not so fast Twerp! These Pokémon belong to Team Rocket now!"

The three jumped back into the Mecha, being rather safe than sorry.

"Oh no you don't! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said to his Pokémon, who nodded in the affirmative.

Jumping with a loud 'Cha', Pikachu let out an absolutely massive _Thunderbolt_ onto Team Rocket's Mecha. The accompanying beam of light was so large that the two trainers had to cover their eyes.

"It won't work on us this time twoip!" Meowth yelled in victory. "The super duper Mola Mola 9000 is immune to electric attacks!"

Ash grit his teeth in anger. But nevertheless, he had more Pokémon on his disposal now. Sporting a mischievous grin, Ash's hand twitched towards one of the Pokeballs on his belt…

But Team Rocket didn't know this. "And we know that you don't bring any other Pokémon with you when you go on a new journey, so you can't stop us this time twerp!" Jessie exclaimed happily.

Morrison looked even more worried as he turned to Ash "Please Ash, you've gotta do something!"

Ash smiled in a placating manner towards his friend "Don't worry Morrison, I will save your Pokémon…"

"Tyranitar….. I CHOOSE YOU!" The trio's eyes widened in fear and disbelief as Tyranitar came out roaring in all his glory. The power of Tyranitar was such that the ground beneath his shook as he roared.

Meowth looked in fear towards his comrades. "Um, guys…. When did the Twoip catch such a powerful Pokémon?" Jessie and James were still shell shocked, and were unable to answer.

Tyranitar growled in anger as he looked at Team Rocket. He had once been separated from his mother by the same type of people; he won't let it happen here.

Jessie, James and Meowth had regained their bearing by this time, and knew full well that they didn't stand a chance before this beast, so they were attempting to run away.

"Faster Meowth! Faster!" James yelled at Meowth, who was controlling the machine fervently.

But Ash didn't have any of it. "Tyranitar, stop them using _Dark_ _Pulse_!"

"Ra…" Tyranitar focused all of his dark thoughts, and in a matter of seconds, manifested them into a Dark Colored basketball sized sphere in the palm of his hands. Giving a loud roar, Tyranitar launched the ball at blinding speeds towards the escaping Team Rocket Mecha. The ball had a bright center, from which lightning appeared to be escaping.

Although they were able to prevent a critical hit, the ball did hit one of the hands, creating a loud explosion and blasting it, and the structure, off the ground. The sheer power of the Dark Pulse was visible to Ash and Morrison as the explosion was larger than any they had ever seen before.

"AAAHH! Meowth do something!" James yelled frantically. Due to the closed structure of the Mecha, they couldn't even use their own Pokémon; not that it would have been much help.

By this time, Ash and Co had reached the area.

"Tyranitar, use a _Hyper_ _Beam_ to cut off the legs!" Ash yelled to his Beast.

Tyranitar growled as he created a yellow colored sphere in his mouth. The procedure only taking a split second, Tyranitar launched the sphere in the shape of a Beam towards the legs. A massive advantage that Tyranitar possessed was that it could used its _Hyper_ _Beam_ continuously for a long time, as well in quick succession. The Beam was launched with a blinding light and exploded near the bottom section of the Mecha, taking out the legs and massive chunks of the armor.

Ash now turned towards his electric rodent "Pikachu, use Iron Tail to break up the bars!" Pikachu moved with a blinding speed to cut off the bars. The trio screamed in dismay as the captured Pokémon made their way out quickly.

Morrison had gotten pretty pissed off by this point, and immediately took matters into his hands.

"-Metagross!"

"-Pikachu!"

"-Tyranitar!"

"_Hyper_ _Beam_! /_Thunderbolt_! /_Fire_ _Blast_!" Three cries came out as the Pokémon dutifully followed.

Metagross, whose anger level in all of his four brains was pretty high, launched the Hyper Beam with a newfound vengeance as his five comrades cheered him on. Tropius, in particular, looked pretty happy.

Pikachu launched the Thunderbolt as if it were a normal thing for him to fry two humans and a talking Pokémon; which it was, and Tyranitar created a mini Fire Blast, but still pretty big, and launched it. Tyranitar's Fire Blast was in the form of a Fireball, so it created an explosive damage, rather than an arson form.

The three attacks hit the sphere which protected the trio, effectively smashing it, and launching them off into the clear sky.

"We should have been more prepared…" Jessie groaned.

"But we came so close for real!" James said as anime tears ran down his face.

"But that doesn't matter cause.." Meowth began.

"Team Rocket is blasting off again!"

Ash and Morrison watched with deadpan stares as Team Rocket blasted off into space, eventually disappearing with a 'Ping'.

Morrison looked at Ash with beady eyes. "They seriously do that even now?" He asked in disbelief.

Ash deadpanned, as if Morrison had asked a stupid question. "Of course they do… it's their MO.."

Morrison grinned as he faced Ash. "Hey Ash, as I was saying before, would you like to have a Pokémon battle!?" Morrison asked, as he reiterated his question from before.

Ash smirked. "You didn't really need to ask!"

As they made their way towards the clearing, Ash looked in slight worry towards the sky. Even though he didn't 'Like' the Team Rocket trio, he didn't hate them. They had become a sort of constant for him through every journey he had taken till now. He still remembered how the trio had almost sacrificed their own lives once to help him with Lugia.

"They seriously need to stop doing their 'Blasting off' thing…. One day they are gonna get hurt.." Ash murmured worriedly, earning a nod from Pikachu.

Little did he know…

**XXX**

_A large distance away…. 5 minutes later…_

"JAMES! DON'T YOU LEAVE THAT BRANCH, OR I SWEAR IMMA KILL YOU!" Jessie roared from her position on James's leg, as Meowth held on to her own.

"I'M TRYING, OKAY? BUT THE BRANCH IS TOO SMALL!" James yelled back as anime tears fell from his eyes.

"I'M TOO YOUING TO DWIE! ME-OWTH!" Meowth wasn't doing so well himself. Feeling himself slipping off, his claws protruded reflexively, earning a pain filled yelp from Jessie.

Jessie's head appeared to have gotten ten times it size as she yelled at Meowth. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING MEOWTH!" While Meowth flashed an apologetic grin at her, the cat Pokémon turned towards his blue haired partner with a grin.

"James! Your Carnivine! He can save us, call him out!" Meowth yelled, relief seeping from every word.

James got a huge grin as he turned to Jessie "Jessie! Get Carnivine's Pokeball from my belt!" He himself could not have gotten it, seeing as he was holding onto the branch.

Jessie frantically reached for the Pokeballs, only to balk in shock when she didn't find any. "B-But there aren't any Pokeballs here!" She screamed in fear to the two.

Meowth eyes widened at that. "Oh shitoit! I had place all of ouir Pokeballs in the bag! IT FELL ON THE TREE NEAR THE CLIFF!" Indeed, the bag was easily visible from their place as it comfortable lie on the large tree.

It was almost as if fate itself was mocking them.

"Oh no! The branch is slipping….!" James held on to the branch for dear life, but it was not to be since the branch eventually did give way.

"AAAHHHH!" The three would have fallen to their deaths, if not for a very familiar screech filling the air…

**XXX**

_A few minutes earlier…_

A large yellow Pokémon happily jumped around as it feasted on the several flies and insects trapped in its pitcher. Having a large supply of fruits didn't dampen matters.

"AAAHHH!" The Pokémon looked up in interest as the scream reached its ear. While the Pokémon would have usually not paid much attention to such matters, it was when it finally saw just who was screaming that its eyes widened.

The Pokémon didn't care for anything in its path as it made its way; as fast as it could, towards the direction the trio were flying into.

'_Master….'_ The Pokémon jumped over obstacles, used its vines in ways it never had imagined before, and moved with an agility belying its size and build.

"Oh no! The branch is slipping!" The Pitcher Pokémon's eyes widened in fear as it finally reached the cliff. Stopping the edge, it expertly used its vines to grab onto the trio. Even though the weight was far more than what he had ever carried before, the Pokémon didn't give up, and heroically pulled the trio back up.

Jessie, James and Meowth huddled with their backs to each other as they took a huge sigh of relief.

"Damn, that was a cloise one!" Meowth was the first one to speak.

James however looked at the two, confusion present in his eyes. "But what saved us? Carnivine's Pokeball is still in the bag, as is Seviper…" It was then that James looked at the stupefied expression on Jessie's face, as if she had seen a ghost.

"Huh? What's the matter Jess?" Meowth asked.

Jessie pointed a shaky finger into the direction where their savior was present. "L-LOOK! I'ts V-V-"

James immediately recognized the Pokémon immediately. Tears sprang into his eyes as he looked at the Pokémon, who was looking at him with an equally nostalgic gaze.

James jumped forward to hug the Pokémon, who returned it immediately.

"V-Victreebel!"

**XXX**

**A/N: Wow…. A Lot happened in this chapter, didn't it?**

**So… James gets back his Victreebel, the first one, mind you. I always felt that letting Victreebel go was a very insensitive thing done by James. Victreebel obviously cared a lot for his trainer, so I didn't like that one bit.**

**I hope you liked this Chapter guys! Also, thanks a lot for the awesome feedback to the last chapter. WE FINALLY CROSSED THE 100 REVIEWS MARK! **

**Next chapter will contain a lot of plot progression, as well as a battle. Heck, I might include a Pokémon capture by Ash!**

**PS: I have used a couple of ideas from the fic 'Pokedex' by Birdboy.**

**Till next time, Tango Charlie O.U.T**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I do not own Pokémon. I do own a couple of Tazzos though.**

NOTE: The FIFA World Cup 2014 has just started in Brazil guys! I'm rooting for Portugal, CR7 being the obvious reason... I am really interested in knowing, how many of you are watching the world cup, and if so, which team or player are you rooting for? My second preference would be Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Netherlands!

**XXX**

_Johto..._

"Alright Morrison, what Pokémon do you choose?" Ash faced Morrison, who was standing a great deal away from him on the field they had selected for their battle.

Morrison appeared to be in a thinking pose. '_While I want to use Metagross... I think it would be for the best if I save him till the Champions League... I don't want Ash to uncover our strategies too early!' _He obviously didn't know Ash as well as he thought he did.

"I think I'll go with... Tropius!" Morrison exclaimed as he tossed the Pokeball towards the battle field.

The Sauropod Pokémon arrived with a loud cry of its name, flapping his massive wings to take into the air. Tropius also didn't appear to be giving much effort in keeping himself in the air, despite its heavy weight.

Ash already knew what Pokémon he was going to choose. Taking his usual pose of a Baseball player, Ash tossed a Pokeball he had never used in battle before "Tyranitar, I choose you!"

The ground shook violently as Tyranitar stomped out its entrance. With a huge body, impenetrable armour, and menacing look, Tyranitar looked the very definition of a war machine. Turning its gaze towards Tropius, Tyranitar raised an eyebrow in interest, but it immediately shifted into a cocky smirk. It was as if he didn't even consider Morrison and Tropius a worthy opponent.

Morrison gulped "Did you seriously have to use him Ash..." He muttered to himself, although he wasn't about to back out. But if he knew beforehand that Ash was going to use Tyranitar, he would surely have used Metagross.

"Tropius, start out with an _Energy_ _Ball_!" Tropius immediately created a basketball sized sphere of pure energy. Unlike _Dark_ _Ball_, _Energy_ _Ball_ had a glowing centre to it, almost like a mini sun. The green colored sphere had enough power to end many a battles in a blink of an eye.

"Tro!" Tropius flapped its massive wings once as he launched the attack at full power towards an unmoving Tyranitar, who didn't appear to be dodging any time soon. The energy ball screeched as it cut through the air at high speeds.

'_Why isn't Ash calling for Tyranitar to dodge….'_ Morrison thought as he narrowed his eyes.

"Use _Iron_ _Defence_ Tyranitar!"

'_So that's why…' _Morrison thought to himself grumpily.

The glowing ball made of pure energy hit the dinosaur Pokémon with a loud boom, with Ash, Morrison and Pikachu watching on in baited interest. As the smoke cleared, Morrison's eyes widened, and for reason too as there was Tyranitar, completely unharmed from the attack.

As if to prove its point, Tyranitar idly yawned, incurring Tropius's rage.

Ash smirked "No need to get cocky Beast, Tropius has more than just that in its bag of tricks, but so do we! Attack with a _Rock_ _Slide_!"

Morrison grit his teeth as Tyranitar waved his hands in the air, as if praying to a deity. Huge slabs of rocks appeared in the air above Tropius, with the Sauropod looking in alarms towards its trainer.

"Tropius, dodge them!" Morrison said as the rocks were suddenly hurled towards the flying Pokémon.

"Tro!" Tropius didn't need to be told twice as it showed impressive agility in dodging the barrage of massive slabs of rock which fell towards the ground. Massive craters were created in the ground as a result of the combined weight, making Morrison grin in appreciation, his rival had gotten good!

"Ta…." Tyranitar growled as the Grass type dodged its launched projectiles, but finally, one of the slabs hit Tropius on its back, making it flinch for a moment, but that one moment was all Ash and Tyranitar needed...

"Tyranitar, don't let it go to waste, keep on using _Rock_ _Slide_!" Ash yelled s he clenched his fists in anticipation of victory.

Morrison however, realised the amount of danger his Pokémon was in and immediately ordered "Tropius, straight up, use multiple _Energy_ _Ball_, followed up by _Sunny_ _Day_!" Seeing as the slabs were pretty durable, they wouldn't have been taken out by a single _Energy_ _Ball_, and if Tropius could get high enough, Tyranitar won't even be able to hit him.

"PIUS!" Tropius exclaimed as it rushed upwards. Not even a least bit afraid of the tonnes of rocks, the Grass Type launched one energy ball after another, finally able to destroy Tyranitar's onslaught. Tropius immediately followed up by launching a golden glowing sphere into the sky, making the sun intensify. Sunny Day didn't actually affect the sun in the slightest; that was just unrealistic, rather it collected the sunlight and natural heat in the surrounding area to focus on one place.

"Ra…" Tyranitar growled as it turned towards its trainer for advice. Ash just raised a hand to calm it down, there wasn't any attack that Tyranitar could use from this distance that could reach Tropius, and he was interested in seeing just what strategy his friend would come up with. '_The Sunny Day will allow Morrison to use Solar beam, but he can't use it at that height, and if he does, Hyper Beam will be more than enough... But then again, all of Tropius's attacks will be intensified due to the Sunny Day...'_

"Alright Tropius, we've got them where we want 'em! Use _Leaf_ _Storm_!" Morrison said, a sudden gleam in his eyes. '_I'm sorry Ash, but you're about to witness one of our strategies from the Hoenn League…'_

Tropius roared in agreement as it glowed with a green aura around it. One of the strongest leaf type attacks, _Leaf_ _Storm_ was only second in power to _Frenzy_ _Plant_. A large number of leaves were created out of nowhere, swirling around Tropius in the form of a mini hurricane. A glint came from the rapid spinning; mainly due to the razor sharp part of the leaves. Tropius mightily flapped its large wings once, instantly launching the hurricane towards Tyranitar.

"Tyranitar, burn the leaves out with _Fire_ _Blast_!" Ash said to his Pokémon. This was one move which could provide Tyranitar an instant victory if Tropius was hit point blank.

Tyranitar closed its eyes briefly as it rapidly gathered the heat generated in its armoured body. Taking a deep breath, Tyranitar launched the Fire Blast attack at its full power; nothing less would work against a attack of the magnitude of Leaf Storm.

The large Fireball collided with the _Leaf_ _Storm_, the Hurricane like effects fanning the flames even more, creating a beautiful scene of destruction and lights. The Leaves tried to mow through the attack, but were burned to crisp by the extreme heat created in the sky. The Fireball completely degenerated into wild streams, causing Tropius to scale a few feet in height to be safe from the undesired effects. Small explosions were created in the sky due to the colliding effect of the fire due to the rapid winds.

"Woah.." The reaction of both Morrison and Ash was the same, the scene was indeed so beautiful.

In a man's kind of way.

The burning leaves fell towards the canopy of trees in the forest, disappearing from sight.

"As good as that was, Tropius, the path is clear for us now, use _Aerial_ _Drain_ to hit Tyranitar!" Morrison yelled to his Pokémon, who barely made out the order from the height it was in the sky.

Ash's eyes widened as Tropius disappeared from sight '_What! What the heck is Aerial Drain?'_

Tyranitar's eyes widened in a bit of fear as its opponent vanished from sight. Tyranitar shifted into a ready stance as its moved its eyes to and from. Suddenly, a flash of green appeared from the corner of its eyes. Tyranitar moved to block the attack, but wasn't fast enough as Tropius hit it with great force, immediately disappearing from sight afterwards.

"Are you alright Tyranitar!?" Ash asked in worry. '_Shit... Tropius is fast!_' However it was for nothing since Tyranitar hadn't suffered anything more than some minor bruises. "Ra!" Tyranitar growled in the affirmative as he looked around for its opponent.

Ash smirked to himself "It's no use Morrison, Tyranitar's defence is way too strong for it to be breached by something like this!" "Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu was of a similar mindset as its trainer.

Morrison grinned "Think what you want to Ash, our strategy is coming on..." This made Ash pause for a bit. '_Strategy? But what could it be...'_

Tyranitar was hit by multiple _Aerial_ _Aces_, none managing to do anything more than make it cringe for a bit or move a few steps backwards. But then _it _occurred. The thing Morrison had been planning for a while...

"RAAAA!" Tyranitar roared in pain as red colored lightning covered its entire body. Large seeds arose from its body to cover it entirely in vines. Tyranitar collapsed to one of its knees, breathing harshly.

"Oh no! Tyranitar!" Ash yelled in worry as Morrison's strategy final became clear to him.

Tropius landed in front of a grinning Morrison. The Sauropod was also breathing deeply; no doubt the energy heavy attack taking its toll. While he could immediately regain his energy to his full power by _Giga_ _Drain_, to do so would mean to get in contact with Tyranitar for a period more than a few seconds.

And that was something neither Tropius nor Morrison wanted to risk; not yet.

"As you can see Ash, Tropius left a mini _Giga_ _Drain_ seed on Tyranitar every time he hit him with a _Aerial_ _Ace_, so now Tyranitar's energy is slowly being drained, do you still want to continue the battle?"

Ash grit his teeth. So even Morrison wasn't above trash talking, huh? "You already know the answer to that Morrison! Tyranitar, no need to worry, use _Sandstorm_!"

'_So you __**are **__getting desperate Ash...'_ Morrison stood calmly as Tyranitar painfully moved its hands around, creating a huge _Sandstorm_ out of nowhere; no doubt the magical power of the magical creature known as Pokémon. The _Sandstorm_; albeit large, was nowhere near the scale of what Tyranitar might have been able to produce at its full power.

"Tropius, you already know what to do, get up high in the air!" Morrison wasn't about to underestimate his opponent, and Ash destroyed the people who underestimated him.

Tropius, knowing the dangers of being caught in a _Sandstorm_, immediately rushed up into the air. Thirty feet above, and the Sandstorm didn't even touch Tropius.

'_What will you do now Ash? Tyranitar's energy reserves won't last for much if you keep on using Sandstorm for much longer, also Tyranitar wouldn't even be able to pin point Tropius in such a dusty atmosphere... I think you lose this one buddy...' _Morrison could literally feel the grasp of his victory...

But then-

"Tyranitar, launch multiple _Dark_ _Pulse_, make the _Sandstorm_ as dense as possible!" Ash yelled with a determined look to his Pokémon, who grunted with effort as he stood back up; trembling all the while. Indeed the Sandstorm started getting thicker and thicker, to the point that Tyranitar became invisible to the naked eye.

Morrison's eyes widened in alarm "Oh no! Tropius, fly hig-" But before Morrison could even finish his sentence, A barrage of Black colored spheres hit the Sauropod, causing it to screech out in pain.

"No, Tropius fly high!" However, due to the height Tropius was on, as well as the constant attacks of the Dark Pulses, Tropius became a literal ragdoll in the sky; being thrown off balance more than the times Morrison could be comfortable with. Multiple explosions occurred in the sky, each one more debilitating to Tropius than the last.

"B-But how could Tyranitar aim so well!" Morrison yelled out in panic, almost clutching his hair in frustration.

Ash smirked "Two words Morrison. Sand. Stream. Well, maybe a third, Ability!" Ash grinned, the momentary advantage playing to his ego.

"Tro..." Tropius groaned as it fell head long into the sand cloud. A loud thump was heard as the massive Sauropod hit the ground. Morrison became even more panicked now since he couldn't even see his own Pokémon anymore, not to mention Tropius was working blind now...

'_Damn... Ash has completely thrown us off balance here! We might even lose!'_ Morrison raked his mind to think of some strategy to escape _Sandstorm_. The move, while pretty common, was extremely useful for a Pokémon containing either Sand Stream or Sand Veil as an Ability. Most Pokémon turned themselves momentarily blind as well while using the move.

Tyranitar was among the lucky few exceptions.

Ash knew that this was the moment to attack "Tyranitar, finish this with Giga Impact!" His fist clenched in victory as Pikachu yelled in support.

"Tropius, try to dodge buddy!" Morrison yelled out with desperation, although he knew full well that the match was way out his hand now.

"RAAAA!" A beastly roar was heard from the rapidly dispersing Sandstorm, allowing Ash and Morrison to look at their Pokémon. The result was surprising to both the parties.

A highly injured Tropius; courtesy of multiple _Dark_ _Balls_, and the direct impact into the ground, and a similarly laid out Tyranitar were a few feet from each other. Both of the Pokémon were breathing slowly, and didn't really appear to be awake.

"The match is a-"

"Draw." Ash finished for Morrison.

"Tropius/Tyranitar, Return!" Both the trainers returned their Pokémon to their Pokeballs, mumbling sweet nothings, for healing and resting; at least until the time they could get to a qualified Pokémon doctor.

Both the trainers were silent as they made their way to each other. Without even the need for prompting, the trainer's hands met in a shake of respect and professionalism.

"So... the Giga Drain finally did its job, huh Ash?" Morrison grinned as he looked at a sheepish looking Ash.

"I guess so... I think I should have gone for an elemental attack like _Fire_ _Blast_... The _Giga_ _Impact_ must have put quite a strain on Tyranitar's body." Ash said with a bit of shame. He should know his Pokémon's limits.

"Pika Pi." Pikachu nodded his head in the affirmative, almost as if chastising his trainer.

"You've really improved Ash. I think this my hardest battle since the Hoenn finals." Morrison said honestly. He was really much impressed by his friends improvement.

Ash chuckled "I guess so man. I think we both have improved much from the time we met in Hoenn so many days ago. I bet we both would eb able to ebat Harrison if we battled today!" Ash said with confidence. The older trainer had been one of Ash's toughest rivals of all time. And one neither Ash nor Morrison had been able to defeat.

"Harrison? I think you might wanna do a rain check on that Ash. Harrison beat all four of the Hoenn Elite Four after his victory in the Hoenn League, only losing to Steven Stone by a margin of 6-3." Morrison said.

Ash was visibly surprised at that "Harrison was _that _good!? Man... have we some catching up to do..." If Harrison was that strong then, Ash couldn't even imagine just how far he would have had gotten in the years following! He hadn't even been able to beat Drake's Shellgon; much less be able to touch his mighty Salamance.

"I agree... wait, what the heck is that burning smell?" Morrison said as his nose twitched.

"Chuu..." Pikachu murmured in support as it analyzed the air with his superior sense of smell.

"Burning... Wait, the burning leaves from the Leaf Storm fell into the forest!" Ash yelled in panic.

Indeed as the two trainers reached the edge of the forest, a pretty large forest fire was in full force as the multiple Ground and Grass types made their way out of the fire as fast as they could. Many of them giving the stink eye to the two trainers for creating such a ruckus.

"AAH! DO SOMETHING ASH!" Morrison yelled out in fear as he fumbled for Swampert's Pokeball.

"I'M TRYING!"

"TRY FASTER!"

**XXX**

_Professor Oak's Lab..._

"Hmm...The Pokechow appears to be well stocked... Dragonite's and Arcanine's medicines will be arriving next week... Ash's Arbok looks to be well settled..." It was a normal day at the Oak ranch for Professor Oak. Having earned a high amount of money from his own days as a Trainer, as well as the multiple revolutionary devices he invented, Samuel Oak's Laboratory was the single most well maintained structure in the whole of Kanto. Hundreds of Pokémon resided here, both wild and caught. Ash was just one of the trainers under his watch.

Taking care of them was a self imposed Oath Oak had taken upon himself.

And as much as it saddened him, his own Pokémon were getting up in age, just like him. The medicines required were absolutely necessary for their survival. Oak had owned sixty Pokémon during his decade long journey as a trainer. The reason that the number was less was solely because the routes between the regions hadn't been well developed by then; and not a question on his more than capable qualities as a trainer. So Oak had managed to catch sixty Pokémon belonging from the regions of Johto, Kanto and Hoenn.

And he would be damned if he let that number dwindle anytime soon...

A sudden ringing attracted Oak's attention. '_Who could it be... Maybe Ash needs to change his Pokémon? Or maybe it's one of the new trainers?'_ Oak wondered as he made his way to the Telephone.

Gary and Tracy were out to get something he had asked from a local professor near Pewter City, so his work load was kind of heavier than usual...

"Professor Oak..?" A uniformed woman Oak knew very well appeared onto the screen.

"Yes it is me. How may I help you Officer Jenny?" Oak smiled as he talked to the pretty law enforcer. It was rare that someone like her called his Laboratory.

" Sorry to disturb you Professor, but is it true that..." Jenny took out a paper from her pocket "A trainer named 'Ash Ketchum', is under your watch?"

"Yes, he is... Is something the matter Officer Jenny?" Oak said, his tone getting a bit nervous at the end. Ash was a teenager after all, getting into trouble with the law wouldn't be too unlikely.

Oak's worries were immediately put to rest "Oh no no! It's nothing like that. It's just that we had the information that Mr. Ketchum owns thirty Tauros...?" Jenny asked as she scanned the paper in her hand for confirmation.

"Why yes he does! But what does that have to do with anything Officer?" Owning multiple Pokémon of the same kind wasn't anything illegal, unless you weren't taking good care of them.

"You see Professor, the League has asked us to diversify the kind of Pokémon we have under our services. So, we have been contacting all those Kanto Trainers who have multiple Pokémon of the same species under their ownership. We are wondering whether Ash would be interested in a Pokémon trade." Jenny said with a smile.

Oak nodded and though for a while '_Ash doesn't really have a use for all thirty of his Tauros. It would be a very good experience for one of them to go and work under the law... I think Tauros #18 showed an interest in the mock battle Quilava and Servine had a while back. And with the Champions League coming up, I guess Ash needs all the advantage that he can get...'_ The decision was pretty sure to Oak. Not to mention the amount of damage the damn Tauros caused while stampeding...

He needed the money for his Cruise ship vacation dammit!

"I think he will be agreeing Officer Jenny. But first, what Pokémon is it that you wish to exchange." Oak asked. There was no way in hell we would exchange one of Ash's Tauros with a Rattata or a Dunsparce...

Jenny grinned. "I'll show you right now, Professor!" Jenny whistled loudly, causing a small, Orange colored Pokémon to appear beside her. The Pokémon had tufts of regal looking fur on various parts of its body, and an overall happy demeanour.

Oak smiled at seeing the Pokémon, a hint of nostalgia in it "I think it would do perfectly Officer, just perfect..."

**XXX**

_Johto..._

"The theory behind using _Frenzy_ _Plant_ is your energy." He started, Torterra and Sceptile listening along with rapt attention, "But instead of compressing it, you need to spread the energy out under the ground beneath you and form the vines of the attack with both your energy and willpower. The Vines need to come as you want, not just in any direction. The speed has to be so that the Attacking Pokémon gets entwined in it..." Ash explained to the two large Pokémon standing in front of him.

Torterra blinked.

Sceptile deadpanned.

Ash sighed. "Look guys, even I don't know how it works; I'm just saying what Dexter showed me."

Torterra and Sceptile, being his only current fully evolved Grass Types in his party, were the only ones capable of learning Frenzy Plant. Being the strongest Grass Type move, it was an immense asset to have, and one which Ash was sure most of his rival's Grass types knew. Servine would have a much better learning experience once she evolved, since Torterra and Sceptile could teach her in a better manner...

"Scep." Sceptile looked at the pathetic, shrivelled up vines that appeared after his first try of the move. "Terra..." Things looked to be in similar state for Torterra, only his Vines looked to be something that could be used in a play of Tarzan, rather than something used in League battles...

Ash sweatdropped. _'Then again... maybe not.'_

Charizard already knew Blast Burn, so he could teach it to Infernape and Pignite once he evolved. Quilava _could _learn Blast Burn after evolving into Typhlosion, but Eruption was a much better move for him. Eruption was an extremely rare move not often learned by Fire Types. It had equal power to Blast Burn, and Quilava's and Typhlosion's body modifications allowed for a easier learning experience. But then again, Quilava didn't show any particular interest in evolving, so it was all hypothetical.

One thing which Ash was sure of was that all of his Water Types wished to fully evolve. Blastoise, Feraligatr, Samurott, Floatzel, Seismitoad, Kingler and Crawdawnt... That was a heck of a team that most Water Type specialists would die to have. And he would, by the time he got the Champions League.

The thought excited him.

Blastoise already knew Hydro Cannon, the strongest Water Type move, so Feraligatr and Samurott wouldn't have any problem learning it. Floatzel could probably do it too, but he wouldn't hold his breath on it.

"Keep on trying harder guys!" Ash weakly cheered his Pokémon. Torterra and Sceptile grumbled as yet another one of their efforts failed.

Staraptor, Swellow, Pidgeot and Unfezant were the other four Pokémon that he had called for this week. His Flying Types had always been helpful in whatever battles he had chosen them in, and their scouting abilities were also good for the times Team Rocket struck. Tyranitar didn't want to go away, but Ash managed to coerce him into doing so. While he would have liked to keep Tyranitar for another week, he knew that it important for Tyranitar to meet his other squad mates.

On a side note, Ash became probably the first man ever to have been attacked by a Puppy Dog eyes attack from a Tyranitar.

"Dexter, show me the moves my current Pokémon have on them.." He muttered to sentient Pokedex. He hadn't had the time to properly learn the moves his Pokémon possessed right now, instead choosing to instantly get into training.

"Aye Aye Sir..." Dexter blinked once as he processed the data. In a matter of seconds, six tabs were open in the browser, allowing Ash to get an overview of the capabilities of his Pokémon...

"_**National Pokedex Entry #254: Sceptile**_

_**Sceptile, the Jungle Pokémon. Its arms are equipped with razor-sharp leaves, and it moves lightly through tree branches in order to attack its enemies.**_

**This Sceptile has the Ability: Overgrow  
This Sceptile knows the Attacks: Pound, Agility, Bullet Seed, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Leaf Storm, X-Scissor, Night Slash, Double Team, and Giga Drain."**

"Night Slash? That can come handy against Psychics... and Giga Drain can prove handy." Giga Drain's effectiveness didn't really need to be explained to Ash after his draw with Morrison.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #389: Torterra**_

_**Torterra, the Continent Pokémon. Torterra is the final evolved form of Turtwig. Sometimes small Pokémon will gather to make their nests on Torterra's back.**_

**This Torterra has the Ability: Shell Armour  
This Torterra knows the Attacks: Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Leaf Storm, Wood Hammer, Giga Drain, Earthquake, And Solar Beam."**

"Torterra's pretty well balanced... He has both long range, as well as close range attacks. Mastering the Frenzy Plant would provide him a sure fire winner..."

"_**National Pokedex Entry #398: Staraptor**_

_**Staraptor, the Predator Pokémon, and the evolved form of Staravia. Staraptor's ferocious nature means that it has no problem challenging much larger opponents.**_

**This Staraptor has the Ability: Reckless  
This Staraptor knows the Attacks: Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Gust, Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Aerial Ace, Brave Bird, and Close Combat."**

"Close Combat? Hmm... Must have been Infernape. That will definitely come handy in some tight scenarios..." Ash excitement just rose up by a few hundred degrees.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #277: Swellow**_

_**Swellow, the Swallow Pokémon. Swellow uses its impressive dive-bomber speed and its large talons to capture its prey.**_

**This Swellow has the Ability: Scrappy  
This Swellow knows the Attacks: Wing Attack, Aerial Ace, Agility, Double Team, Air Slash, Focus Energy, Brave Bird and Steel Wing."**

"Wow! The Scrappy Ability will help Swellow against Ghost Types... and I can see that Staraptor has taught Brave Bird to him..."

"_**National Pokedex Entry #521: Unfezant**_

_**Unfezant, the Proud Pokémon and the evolved form of Tranquill. Female Unfezant's flying skills surpass that of male Unfezant.**_

**This Unfezant has the Ability: Rivalry  
This Unfezant knows the Attacks: Gust, Quick Attack, Air Cutter, Wing Attack, Aerial Ace, Razor Wind, and Sky Attack."**

"Hmm... Unfezant is pretty well balanced. Her speed and strength are nothing to scoff at, and the Sky Attack just provides her the killer attack she needed..."

"_**National Pokedex Entry #18: Pidgeot**_

_**Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon. The evolved form of Pidgeotto, this Pokémon flies at Mach 2 speed, seeking prey. Its wicked talons are feared as tearing weapons.**_

**This Pidgeot has the Ability: Keen Eye  
This Pidgeot knows the Attacks: Gust, Hurricane, Agility, Sandstorm, Whirlwind, Steel Wing, Feather Dance, Mirror Move, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, and Aerial Ace."**

"Pidgeot is definitely my strongest Flying Type... Hyper Beam will provide Pidgeot the advantage in fights where it can't get into close range... also Giga Impact, Steel Wing, Hurricane... I just... _damn!" _Ash had an ear splitting grin on his face as he read off the moves that Pidgeot knew. Not only did it allow him to put less focus on teaching new moves, now Pidgeot could even teach Staraptor and the others!

And not to forget, Unfezant's Sky Attack was the strongest flying type Attack, so she could help the others understand it.

"Staraptor, Swellow, Pidgeot, Unfezant, come on down!" Ash yelled towards the sky.

Meanwhile a loud boom was heard from a distant corner '_Must be Pikachu...'_ Pikachu had had much success in improvising his Thundershock to hit and encase multiple targets. Another thing that Ash had begun teaching to Pikachu was using his Electricity with effectiveness other than the hi-fi moves. Static Jolt and Thunderspark were the funny names he had decided on when Pikachu battled a Paras and Parasect back during his first journey.

The Paras was pathetically weak, so Ash and Pikachu couldn't well go full power on them. So, he had told Pikachu to use low powered versions of his attacks. While he hadn't seen the advantage of using those moves back then; now he could see the immense potential they had.

Electricity was notoriously hard to control. Pichu hurt themselves while attacking, and that was a prime example. Pikachu gained much control of the Electricity present in their bodies after evolving. Never did his Electric Attacks hurt him when he performed them. But one thing which Ash had noticed about Pikachu was that whenever he used Thunder, which was an extremely precise move, Pikachu used to close his eyes. Not in pain, but to focus. Such a thing could allow the opponent to break Pikachu's defences and get into attacking range. Through gaining control over Static Jolt and Thunderspark, Pikachu would gain much better control of the attacks he could do.

And it was then that Ash could truly teach Pikachu one attack that would increase his level beyond anything any Pikachu had ever reached before.

A loud screech alerted Ash to the arrival of his Pidgeot, with Unfezant, Swellow and Staraptor following close behind. Being the most experienced, as well as oldest of the group, Pidgeot had become a sort of pseudo leader for the group of flying Pokémon Ash had.

All of the four Pokémon landed in front of Ash. Pidgeot was the most massive one among them. Standing at an impressive 6'1", Pidgeot far surpassed the average height for its species. The normal Pidgeot reached a maximum height of 5", so Pidgeot's size was indeed something to be proud about. That didn't mean that it was slow though; far from that. Pidgeot was **the** fastest Pokémon he had in his party. Even Sceptile couldn't match the pure speed that Pidgeot possessed in the skies.

Ash wondered whether these two of his Pokémon had learned to use Extreme Speed in the same way as Arcanine's...

Ah. It wasn't as if he was going to get an Arcanine any time soon. They were extremely rare in the wild, and Growlithe were also mostly under the control of the Police.

Staraptor was the second largest one. Its height was also an impressive; 5'11" and was certainly not what most Staraptor's reached. Staraptor had multiple strong attacks in his repertoire, so his size wasn't an impediment, just like Pidgeot. Both of his two Flying types were big enough to carry him over long distances. Although he still preferred Pidgeot due to his experience, and Charizard for his size.

Unfezant, being a female, had the normal height that the Pokémon of her species reached. She flew with a grace that Ash didn't notice in any of his other flying types. Unfezant was strong physically, but her speed wasn't as good as Pidgeot or Staraptor. But then again, the Sky Attack move just took her dangerousness to a whole new level.

Swellow was the smallest one among his comrades. But that didn't mean he didn't pack enough of a punch though; he had proven it enough against the shiny Swellow back during his Hoenn journey. Swellow had a very big, almost unnatural, advantage over most flying types...

Electric attacks had very little effect on him. Thunder Armour was a move that could destroy most competition in double battles. Swellow had shown an extreme pain tolerance in controlling the move, which increased even more once he used Steel Wing. Also, training with Staraptor had expanded Swellow's move-set, so he was more well rounded than before.

"Alright guys, we have got to get to our highest levels if we have to even dream of winning the Champions League." Ash started. Beginning with a motivational speech always helped in intensifying the training. "Now as for your training..."

The flying types were ran through multiple courses that Ash had designed with the help of Torterra and Sceptile around the area. Staraptor and Pidgeot had scoffed at the idea, but Unfezant managed to reel them into line. The idea in itself was pretty indigenous. Ash tied multiple weighted rocks around the flying Pokémon, and then they had to go through the multiple wooden rings and flaps created by Sceptile.

While the wooden rings seemed to be a kind of cliché idea, it was actually pretty helpful. While Pidgeot could fly at high speeds no problem, it was at the turns that he had the real problem. Making sharp turns, all the while maintaining his supersonic speed would make Pidgeot nigh near unstoppable in the sky; that is of course, if mastered properly. Ash wasn't a fool, and knew full well that such a thing was not possible, but it was a great method to improve his turning speed.

Staraptor's prized move was Brave Bird. While he could do it pretty accurately, the rings and flaps, as well as the numerous hindrances helped Staraptor to properly master the move, and that was only when he could do it with zero percent recoil damage. Not to mention; all of the Pokémon's Aerial Aces had the potential to improve.

Swellow had a lot of advantages in the course, most of which were due to his small size. To compensate, Ash had increased the weight tied on Swellow.

All in all, the third week of training had been going on well for Ash Ketchum and Co.

**XXX**

_Oak Ranch..._

That however, wasn't exactly the case at Professor Oak's Laboratory.

"Hey dude, my claws can totally match the Metal Gear Solid tune now..." Kingler happily said to Crophish, all the while clicking his claws, and indeed it was the Metal Gear Solid tune.

The Pokémon were just lazing around at one place. Or, to be more specific, Ash's Pokémon were enjoying a day off from their training. Charizard and Garchomp were curled up under two trees, not sleeping, but resting. Scraggy was running around; challenging multiple Pokémon including Infernape, Pignite, Blastoise and Krookodile, to a fight. Donphan, Palpitoad, Muk and Buizel were playing a game of Rock Paper and Scissors. Servine was lazily talking to Dewott, privately...

Wonder what that means?

Tyranitar, the new guy, was off brooding somewhere else, not wanting to be around Garchomp and Tyranitar after their less than pleasant meeting.

"Holy Crab! How did you-" Corphish was just about to respond were a sudden voice filled every Pokémon's ears.

"_Attention all! Attention All! This is code Delta 5-1-2-fatass. The Glutton has gotten free, I repeat, the Glutton has gotten free. Every Pokémon is to make way to the no man's Land between the Mother Base and the Pallet House. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill!" _The distinct voice of Noctowl ringed in everyone's ears.

The clearing busted into a flurry of movement at that time. Servine quickly handed Scraggy to the trio of Muk, Kingler and Crophish, who made up the Homeland Security.

"Take care of the kid!" Servine commanded in an authoritative voice as Muk, Kingler and Corphish nodded resolutely. She took off after Dewott and Pignite, quickly gaining up to the duo.

Charizard's eyes steeled as he rose up with a ferocious roar. Garchomp following close behind, the monstrous duo took off towards the direction where the no man's land was situated. Both Pokémon had been tested and tried for situations like this; they were the veterans. Taking off at super high speeds, the trees shook as the two Dragons made their high paced way towards their location.

"Shit! This is the first time this month! How could have we got so reckless!" Charizard growled angrily as he dodged a few annoying Pidgeys.

"I know... It was Krookodile's job to watch after him this week, wasn't it?" Garchomp asked, a bit of anger seeping into his voice.

"Grr... I'mma have some words with him some time... _soon..."_

Gliscor immediately followed his flying counterparts, using Quick Attack to increase his pace.

Buizel nodded to Gliscor, who bobbed in the affirmative.

"You know what to do SkullCandy!" Buziel yelled towards Glailie, a layer of water already covering his lower half.

Glailie had a tick mark on his... body, as he spoke "I know... AND STOP CALLING ME SKULLCANDY! IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY, ITS FREAKING LAME-"

Buizel cut off the Ice Monster "Yeah Yeah, whatever. You create super froot Ice Cream, and you are basically a head, so it's alright. But don't forget that we have far more important things to do now!"

Glailie nodded, although he was a bit let down; it didn't seem that Buizel would stop using the nickname any time soon...

"Ice Beam!" Glailie exclaimed as he launched a much more refined version of the powerful attack on the ground. Immediately, Buizel jumped on the platform, taking hold of Glailie's body at that moment, and used his Aqua Jet to propel himself at high speeds towards the direction where all of the others were headed.

Donphan had already rolled out at high speeds, with Tauros following soon after. Krookodile was digging furiously underground, with Bulbasaur following him close behind. Blastoise had already reached the site, having been close to it in the beginning.

_At the Site..._

He ran.

He ran like never before.

They were coming. He could feel them, coming at him like Falcons after their prey. It was just him against a highly trained team of Elite Defenders...

A lone Pokémon, betrayed by the people he loved...

But...

The Mission...

He had a mission. A mission Snorlax wouldn't fail, no matter what.

After so many days of torture... no he wouldn't give up, no matter what!

"LAX!" Snorlax gave a resolute roar as he jumped over a car, and subsequently dodging a Razor Leaf Attack from out of nowhere.

'_Damn! They caught up to me!'_ Still, Snorlax had much fight left in him, he wasn't about to go out like a pussy; not after what he had been through.

"STOP! Servine, you know this area is a DMZ, Demilitarized Zone! We can't use our attacks here, wait till we cross the 100 metres." An authoritative voice, sounding much similar to Bulbasaur's came out.

Servine cursed as she stopped her attack, allowing Snorlax to continue his pace towards his destination.

"Dammit Bulbasaur! Where are the others?" Dewott asked frantically as he and Pignite flanked Snorlax on either of his sides. Krookodile's snout was visible, but the Pokémon was still underground as he digged at a high pace a little bit behind Snorlax.

"The Air support will be coming in a couple of minutes; Commander Noctowl has already given us the mental commands! We are to stop the glutton from reaching his top speed!" Bulbasaur's high speed was visible to all as he kept up with the plethora of evolved Pokémon.

By this time, the small group had already reached the No man's land, separating the main area of Pallet Town from the Pallet House restaurant, owned by none other than their Master's mother.

ROOOOAAARRRR!

A loud roar was heard as Charizard and Garchomp landed in front of Snorlax, halting him in his way.

Snorlax's eyes steeled as he surveyed the scenario. He flanked on the left and right by Pignite and Dewott. Servine and Bulbasaur covered his back, and the two monsters smirked at him from the front, with Krookodile joining them after a few seconds.

He grimaced.

This wasn't looking good for him; not at all.

"Give it up Snorlax... You're surrounded and outnumbered. Give up peacefully, and your punishment might be reduced..." Charizard said with a smirk as he faced Snorlax, who had shifted into a ready stance by now.

"Yeah. We damn sure have the advantage over here, don't make us take any unnecessary steps.." Krookodile warned as his glasses shone menacingly. Garchomp didn't say anything, choosing to just smirk with a haughty look at the Sleepy Pokémon.

"We can do it either the easy way, or the bad way buddy. Despite your recent infraction, you are still one of us, give it up." Bulbasaur, ever being the peace maker, interjected, with Servine nodding in support of the better approach taken by Bulbasaur.

'_Give... up...?'_ The words echoed in Snorlax's mind. The words spoken to him by all of the Pokémon standing in front of him. The ones who looked at him as if they were his betters. "Give up?" Snorlax gave a chuckle as he said that, surprising all of the Pokémon looking at him. Snorlax's head was hanging low, not letting the Pokémon see his expression.

However, when Snorlax's head snapped back, the Pokémon nearly drew back at the sheer willpower coming from the Hungry Pokémon. "I will never give up! Win or lose, I will fight till the last moment! Its the way of my master, and the way I will follow, none of you chumps can take me, Believe it!"

Charizard crossed his arms in dejection as he muttered "Very well..."

"ATTACK!" Noctowl's sudden command screeched through the air as a flurry of movement overtook the calm area. Arbok exploded from the ground to try to coil around Snorlax, Glailie's Ice Beam froze up a few rocks, a missed Hypnosis caused Boldore and Bayleef to attack each other, Blastoise was less than pleased with the Flamethrower which hit him on the back, Garchomp's tail destroyed a few boulders...

It was pure pandemonium.

_A little ways back..._

A large crowd had gathered on the edge of the small town by this time. Due to the amount of noise and commotion caused by the large group, the residents had curiously come out of their houses.

"Is it the Ketchum's Pokémon?" A lazy voice came from one of the many men standing there.

"Yeah..." A woman replied back.

"So how do you think it will go this time?"

"I don't know man... Snorlax was able to outwit them a few times, but this time they are all united..."

"Dammit! Isn't it the fifth time this year?"

"Only Ash's Pokémon guys... only his Pokémon can create such a big deal of Snorlax raiding his Mother's restaurant."

**XXX**

_Johto, night time..._

Ash groaned as fell into his sleeping bag with a level near to reverence.

The day of training had been especially hard; even for their new standards. And not to mention a little bit less productive for his liking. Staraptor had a broken wing from teaching Brave Bird one too many times. Unfezant was drained out from the multiple uses of Sky Attack. Pidgeot's Giga Impact had left many a craters into the ground.

The only positive was the learning of Frenzy Plant by Sceptile and Torterra; at least to a partial level. IT was still nothing compared to what Paul's Torterra could have done with ease, but it was more than enough for just a day of training.

"I think I'm gonna keep the alarm a bit late tomorrow..." Ash grumbled as he pushed a few buttons on the XtremeDex, who was seemingly in a 'Sleep Mode', or rather its AI, Dexter.

'_Ahh... After a visit to the Pokémon centre tomorrow, we will once again be ready to train!-"_

'_**Where are you Master...?" **_

Ash sat straight up in his bag, eyes wide. Pikachu looked at his trainer confusedly.

"W-What... What the heck was that!?"

Just... Just whose voice was the one echoing in his mind...

**XXX**

**A/N: **OK. I will say it myself.

I'm an Asshole.

Alright? I'm really sorry for not updating guys, but the curse called as the real world got in the way of my writing. To be more precise, The FIFA WORLD CUP! And exams too.

I hope this chapter was mildly enjoyable to the lot of you, a new Pokémon, and just who is the one calling out to Ash?

The answers will be coming soon, keep on following To be the best, like there no one ever was.

**P.S. I AM STILL OPEN TO ANY RECOMMENDATION ABOUT A COOL ONE WORD NAME; JUST REMEMBER TO PM IT TO ME, RATHER THAN REVIEWING.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I do not own Pokémon. But it would be mighty nice of Nintendo to gift it to me for my birthday!**

**XXX**

_Mt Silver, PayPhone House_

"YOU DID WHAT!" A furious voice bellowed out from the tiny Telephone booth, causing many people to lean away nervously.

"It wasn't something I did for my profit Ash! I swear Tauros #18 was very pleased to join the Police!" A nervous old voice came back frantically, causing the person sitting in front of the screen to fume.

"Oh, he was happy? Well how would I know? Good ol' Professor shipped him out without even telling me!" Ash said as he glared at the old guy present on his screen.

"C-Calm d-down my boy-"

"Calm down? CALM DOWN!? You have just traded one of my Pokémon without even telling me beforehand, please forgive me for NOT calming down!"

Ash was angry. No, screw that, he was beyond angry! What had the old fart been thinking!? Trading one of his Tauros for god knows what. And he didn't even inform him about the exchange!

Oak sighed "I understand your anger Ash, but please see my position too! You were somewhere around in Mt. Silver, Your XtremeDex didn't have a signal there, so I couldn't message you, and Officer Jenny said that the offer was only for a week! I had no choice Ash, I knew that the trade would prove beneficial to you Ash, and that's why I took the decision." Professor Oak said as eh looked at Ash with pleading eyes.

Ash's eyes lost some of the anger, but he was far from happy even now "I understand all that Professor, but you did have a choice, you could have chosen to let Tauros 18 be, he could have remained happily with his family!" Ash argued. After all, the Tauros herd was very close knit. Not to mention Ash didn't really have pleasant memories with transfers. The day he exchanged Butterfree for the pathetic Raticate still haunted him. And Buizel didn't count, he already knew the cool guy, and he could rest assured that Aipom would be fine with Dawn.

Oak gained some confidence from Ash's reasoning, seeing as he had all the counter measures "Ah, that's where you are wrong my boy. Tauros 18 was in fact very willing to go, and his herd was very supportive in the matter. I agree that I should have asked you first, and I apologize for that mistake."

Ash was still not fully satisfied with the answer, but nodded nevertheless. If Tauros and his herd agreed to the decision, who was he to argue? Also, if Tauros 18 really wanted to live an adventurous life, it was the correct path for him to take.

"All right, I accept your decision Professor…" Ash said as Oak gained a bright smile, but it immediately faltered as Ash continued "But if you ever do something like this again, remember that Muk's hugs can always occur… frequently." Ash said with a sinister look in his eyes.

Professor Oak gulped "A-Ah, no n-need to be hasty m-my boy!"

Ash looked at the Clock present above his cubicle "I will have to cut the conversation Professor, daylight is burning and I and my Pokémon have to train." He said with a serious look in his eyes.

Oak nodded "Of course Ash. But first, don't you want to meet the newest member of your team? He is quite the energetic guy, and I have full belief that you both will become the best of friends."

Ash's eyes widened, he had almost forgot about exchanging his Pokémon "Yeah that would be good Professor. I will be sending you Unfezant's Pokeball for the new guy."

"Unfezant? Sure… Snivy and Bayleef would like that." Oak murmured to himself as he put the new Pokémon's Pokeball on the exchange machine.

Ash clipped off the Pokeball belonging to Unfezant and put it on the identical exchange machine. Being one of his newest Pokémon, Unfezant's Pokeball was still shiny; unlike the Pokeballs of the Pokémon he had caught in Kanto, Orange Islands and Johto. The Pokeball was engulfed in a brilliant flash of light for a few seconds, before vanishing. A split second later, a similar looking Pokeball appeared immediately. Most wouldn't have been able to tell a difference between them.

"Thanks Professor, I call you in a few days to exchange five of the guys, I think I'll keep the new guy a bit longer." Having close bonds with his Pokémon was something that Ash cherished above anything else, the new Pokémon would be no exception.

Oak nodded "Righto." The line cut, causing the screen to go blank for a few seconds, before showing the bill, which was pretty high considering it was an interregional call, involved exchange of Pokeballs, and had lasted a pretty long time. Nevertheless, it wasn't something Ash couldn't pay.

Having paid the bill, Ash held the Pokeball in his hand as he trekked up the hill side to reach the spot where the only released member of his team was training.

And what an odd sight it was.

Unlike most of the areas where Ash and his team trained, this place was not filled with charred rocks, cut up trees, large craters, and full metal mayhem. Rather, a small yellow Pokémon was levitating a few feet above the ground, an intense expression on his face as he struggled to maintain his position.

A light yellow colored shroud covered Pikachu who hovered at a little height. The little guy's body was shuddering every few seconds; showing the sheer amount of pressure he was under to maintain his course of activity. Pikachu was getting tired, but wait….. he could feel it now! The Magnetic Energy had finally started flowing through his body, even though it was minuscule. Yes, he could definitely feel it…. Pleasant little electric shocks generated on his body as the energy dilated and concentrated in quick succession. Yes…. He could see it now, the little yellow sphere, the holy sphere where all of his Magnetic potential was present….. Pikachu reached out with his tiny hands, an expression of glee on his face, as he reached the sphere, just reached it, almost there…

"HEY PIKACHU!"

Poof. The sphere exploded as Pikachu's concentration was rudely broken by his very own trainer.

"Hey Pikachu, I see that you are training pretty hard!" Ash said, oblivious to the twitching ears of his best friend.

"Pi…KA…CHUUUU!" Pikachu let a massive Thundershock, charring Ash in the process. Seeing the painfully twitching Ash on the ground, Pikachu nodded in satisfaction. His idiot trainer deserved it for breaking his concentration when he was so close!

A few painful minutes later, Ash finally came to his bearings. After a few minutes of bickering with Pikachu, which resulted in another Thundershock, Ash finally gave it up as a lost cause and proceeded to releasing his new Pokémon, who still didn't know the identity of.

Pikachu and Ash watched with extreme curiosity as a flash emerged from the Pokeball, gradually taking shape. The Pokémon had tufts of regal looking fur on various parts of his body, which itself was covered in orange colored fur. The Pokémon stood a little bit higher than Pikachu, and was indeed one that every Kanto native could identify without fail.

"Grow!"

"Wow…. It's a Growlithe!" Ash said. An expression of amazement found its way on his face as he looked at the fire type Pokémon. Growlithes were well known for their rarity in being found in the wild, mostly bred in captivity for use in the Police Force. Unlike its fellow mighty canine; Houndoom and Mightyena, Arcanine's were as rare as legendaries in the wild, and could be classified as Pseudo Legendaries if not for their easy evolutions from Growlithes, which could be done in a cheap manner with the help of a Fire Stone. Even so, Arcanine's were mostly under Trainers, and wild ones who mated\ were very rare. The one Drew and May tried to catch in Hoenn was one of those rare occurrences.

Ash scanned Growlithe with his XtremeDex, with Dexter taking a few seconds to properly analyse and scan the Pokémon.

"All done sir-

"_**National Pokedex Entry #58: Growlithe**_

_**Extremely loyal, it will fearlessly bark at any opponent to protect its own Trainer from harm**_

**This Growlithe has the Ability: Flash Fire  
This Growlithe knows the Attacks: Crunch, Ember, Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Double Team, Odor Sleuth, and Flame Wheel."**

'_Hmm…. Not bad for starters. Quick Attack and Double Team always come in handy, and I think Flame Wheel and Flamethrower have been drilled into him from his Police Training.'_

Ash also noted that the Growlithe wasn't fully grown, so he must have been born not more than 3-4 months prior. '_I have make Growlithe even more comfortable now…..He is still a small Pokémon, I can't train him as hard as the others. I think it would be best if I pair him up with Scraggy. But first…'_

"Hey, buddy!" Ash smiled as he knelt down to the dog Pokémon's level, who was looking at Ash with a look of curiosity. "My name is Ash Ketchum, and I'm from the town of Pallet." He then pointed a finger towards Pikachu "And this is my buddy Pikachu. Now that you are a member of my team, I hope we can become the best of friends!" Ash said as Pikachu gave an enthusiastic thumbs up in support.

Growlithe yipped happily as his tail wagged even faster. The dog Pokémon then licked Ash's face, causing the teen to laugh a bit. Within a matter of minutes, all expected awkwardness had disappeared from the area as Ash and Pikachu decided to play a little bit, so as to make the obviously young Pokémon more comfortable, as well as trusting in their presence.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound filled the area, causing the two Pokémon to tense up, and look around for whatever was making the noise. Ash's sheepish chuckle caught their ears. Both the Pokémon sweatdropped as Ash was holding on to his stomach.

"Haha, I think I've gotten a bit hungry guys…" Ash grinned as the two Pokémon sighed. But even they were quite hungry, so the trio started walking towards the camp Ash had set up.

But a strange sight greeted them. Just as the trio neared the Camp, they were stupefied to see that the camp was shaking violently, almost as if something was dancing inside it. Also, Ash noted with dread filling his bones that multiple packets of packed food were strewn about. This could only have meant one thing….

"Oh no! Pikachu, someone is stealing our food!" Ash shouted worry as Pikachu immediately launched a quick Thundershock to sniff out whoever it was inside. Growlithe also took a battle ready position, growling threateningly.

The Camp was engulfed in a mini explosion as Pikachu's exceptionally strong Thunderbolt reached the rubber structure. This was mainly due to the hardcore training Pikachu had continuously undergone since the end of the Unova League.

Unfortunately, this also meant that whatever food that might even have been salvageable was ruined. After all, most things don't tend to survive being shocked by a Lightning Bolt. This was also a fact that Ash noted with dismay. "What the hell Pikachu!? Your Thundershock just destroyed whatever food was left!" Ash admonished his sheepish looking Pokémon. '_That's it…' _Ash thought with anger. '_Whoever caused this, has to __**pay**__…'_

**No one messes with Ash Ketchum's food.**

The trio hadn't had to wait long as a small figure bundled out of the structure, apparently unharmed. The small figure was snickering to himself as he had his greedy little fists immersed into the packet he was holding. The Pokémon regarded the glaring trio with a cocky smirk.

"You…..! How dare you steal our food!" Ash yelled angrily, causing the Pokémon to grin even wider. Now that the little monster was completely out in the open, Ash was able to recognize the Pokémon, even if barely.

The blue colored bipedal Pokémon had large round snout, circular ears and the most exemplary feature was perhaps the three thick gray ridges which covered its head, giving it a nigh impenetrable armor. The Pokémon also had two teeth protruding upwards, giving its mischievous look a nice touch. Another defining feature was probably the digit-less arms, or more like little digits, which looked like stumps.

"It's a Bagon!" Ash said as he scanned the Pokémon with Dexter.

"_**National Pokedex Entry #371: Bagon**_

_**Bagon harbors a never-ending dream of one day soaring high among the clouds. As if trying to dispel its frustration over its inability to fly, it hurls itself over high cliffs, and in the process slams its hard head against huge rocks and shatters them into pebbles. Although it is small, this Pokémon is very powerful because its body is a bundle of muscles. It launches head-butts with its Iron-like skull."**_

"That's a long ass entry…" Ash said as he looked at the longer than usual description on Dexter's screen.

"Professor Rowan got a little over enthusiastic while submitting this, sir." Dexter explained curtly.

Nodding at the explaination Ash turned back his attention to Bagon, who was currently engaged in a glaring contest with Growlithe. Pikachu simply looked amused at the attempts of the young Pokémon to draw him into it.

"Grow-Growlithe!" Growlithe barked angrily at Bagon, who mockingly raised the bag he had in his hands, taking a chips out and eating it with a relish one can only get from eating things which belonged to others.

Ash was about to let the Pokémon go, since he knew that nothing good could come out from fighting him, but it was then that Ash truly noticed it, the thing which caused him to finally lose his cool.

The packet of chips that Bagon was holding wasn't an ordinary packet. No, it was a Lays.

But even more importantly, it was a Baked Flavor.

"How dare you." Ash's voice was a mere whisper, yet was clear to all three of the Pokémon. "How dare you steal Baked Lays!" Ash roared out at the Pokémon, causing it to momentarily draw back in fear, but the cocky smirk was back in place as he mockingly took another bite.

"Grr…. That's it, Growlithe, get ready for your first battle buddy!" Ash yelled to Growlithe, who smirked as he jumped in front of the Bagon, happy to be given the chance from his new master.

"Bag Bagon." Bagon didn't look worried in the least as he took a fighting stance.

"You won't be mocking us for long! Growlithe, use Ember!" Growlithe yipped as Ash's commanded reached his sensitive ears. Growlithe immediately launched the Ember attack, little fireballs flew towards Bagon, who simply launched his very own Ember Attack.

While the two attacks in themselves were quite weak, colliding them with each other still resulted in a mini inferno, which disintegrated many of the plastic bags strewn around.

Ash had to shield his eyes a bit due to the sudden flash fire, but much to his astonishment, when he opened his eyes, Bagon was gone!

"Growlithe, stay on alert, Bagon has hidden somewhere." Ash said to his Pokémon, who used its advanced senses to try and locate Bagon. But it was for naught since the ground beneath Growlithe exploded violently, and Bagon emerged with a quick Headbutt to effectiveness.

"Grow!" Growlithe howled in pain as Bagon's Iron hard skull smashed into his sternum. Ash watched in fascination as Bagon didn't waste another second in immediately digging its way back into the ground.

"It's very fast under the ground, Growlithe, try to stay calm and jump u-damn." Ash cursed as Growlithe, being young as he was, wasn't able to jump in time as another aching Headbutt smashed into him.

Before it could happen a third time, Ash quickly ordered "Growlithe, quickly use a Odor Sleuth, and map Bagon's position, once it emerges, use a Flamethrower attack!"

Luckily Growlithe had only suffered two Headbutts by now, and was able to use the Odor Sleuth properly. Growlithe's nose glowed in a golden shroud, immediately after which Growlithe launched a small ball of light towards the ground. What Odor Sleuth did was to show a map of the battlefield to the Pokémon who had used the attack. It increased the sense and perception of the Pokémon to a huge degree and thus made it able to recognize the pattern of attack its opponent was using. It was also extremely useful for negating attacks using illusions.

What it did for Growlithe was making the Ground glow a bit in the places from which Bagon was travelling. While Ash wasn't able to see anything special, for Growlithe it was like chasing after the taillights of a car. The unsuspecting Bagon emerged, happily in the position of another Headbutt, only for a huge blast of seemingly never ending flames to hit it dead on.

Despite its resistance to fire type attacks, Bagon still cringed in pain as the fire singed and burned through its skin, causing irritating and mildly painful burns to the Dragon Type Pokémon.

"Growwww….!" Growlithe's eyes were narrowed in concentration as it maintained the Flamethrower attack on Bagon. While Growlithe new a couple of high powered attacks, it was not completely proficient in them. A Ditto might be able to copy any attack, but it can't use them to their full potential. Which was exactly the case with rookie Pokémon.

Ash knew this, and thus immediately ordered "End it, and then use Quick Attack!" Growlithe immediately rushed forward while a white light surrounded its body. The Pokémon turned to a mere blur as it rammed into Bagon. But much to Ash's horror, it wasn't just Bagon crying out in pain.

"It's Bagon's skull!" The raven haired Orange League winner exclaimed as Bagon's main layer of defense became clearer to him. While most of Bagon's body was normal as other Pokémon, its Skull and upper back were supremely protected by its unnatural armor.

Growlithe snarled as it nursed its slightly wounded head, where a small bruise had formed. Meanwhile, Bagon itself was growling as it had not come out completely unscathed. While a mature Bagon could shrug off most Fire type attacks, Ash had understood by now that this Bagon was relatively younger. A bit of Bagon's body was burned and the Quick Attack also had a bit of effect.

"Bag…" "Lithe…" The newfound rivals glared at each other as they tried to anticipate their adversaries next moves.

Naturally, Growlithe was at an advantage there as he had a trainer to make decisions for him "Don't let him rest Growlithe! Use Double Team, followed by Quick Attack."

The air around Growlithe shimmered as multiple copies of Growlithe appeared around it, greatly confusing Bagon. The multiple Growlithe's grinned as they began running around Bagon causing the Dragon to lose its opponent in the activity. Suddenly, one of the Growlithe glowed, and not a second later Bagon was cried out in pain as it was hit in its weak spot.

Growlithe didn't give up at that though, continuing his attacks he continuously exchanged his position and seeing the opportunity, hit Bagon hard.

"That's it, keep it up buddy!" Ash cheered his Pokémon, happy that a prospective victory was so easily in his hands.

But Bagon had gotten sufficiently annoyed by that time. Its rage at its peak, Bagon let loose a tremendous amount of energy, which resulted in a greenish mist attack being launched from its mouth. Ash watched in horror as the attack disintegrated the multiple Growlithes and like a raging demon, it hit the real Growlithe head on. Growlithe cried on in pain as it was engulfed in an explosion.

"Dragon Breath! Growlithe, are you all right?" Ash asked in concern as Growlithe weakly stood up, snarling all the while. Bagon itself was panting quite hard, using a powerful attack like Dragon breath and being hit by multiple Quick Attacks had taken quite a toll on the small Pokémon.

But Bagon still was in a much better shape, and started rushing forward with its hands tucked behind. Ash was a bit confused since Bagon's weren't exactly known for speed, but like a raging bull Bagon continued its way forward. Ash's confusion was cleared as Bagon's skull armor was engulfed in a fiery aura.

Growlithe whimpered in pain as the super strong Zen Headbutt hit him. Bagon smirked in glee as Growlithe was launched behind. Rolling through the ground like a rag doll, Growlithe's prone body finally came to still a few feet back, where it shuddered as the pain began registering.

"Oh no! Growlithe!" Ash yelled out in worry as he chastised himself for launching his Pokémon into battle without proper training. Bagon was a bit above in skill level, Ash had to admit that.

"Bagon!" Bagon, using the last vestiges of its energy, launched an Ember attack towards the prone body of Growlithe.

"GROWLITHE!" Ash was extremely worried now. While a normal Ember would just tickle a Fire Type like Growlithe, in its damaged state even Ember could prove disastrous.

Growlithe was whimpering as the pain in his body was nigh unbearable. He didn't think that he could battle any further, he was completely spent. But hearing his trainer's concern filled scream, something in Growlithe flared up. For the first time ever, he felt his body react so aggressively. Growlithe was a bit confused by the sudden course of motions, but let them continue nevertheless. His body glowed like the sun as the Ember Attack finally reached it.

But rather than injure it, Growlithe _absorbed_ the little Fireballs! Growlithe howled as energy filled its entire body. Bagon drew back in shock as the sudden energy of its adversary was completely out of the blue!

But Ash clenched his fists in excitement "Flash Fire! Alright, Growlithe you activated your ability!" Growlithe merely let out another feral howl in return to his trainer's excitement. Understanding his Pokémon's emotions, Ash immediately commanded "Growlithe, finish it with Flame Wheel!"

The last howl Growlithe let out was on a level high above the previous ones. Growlithe's entire body was covered in flames a split second later; he was on fire both literally and figuratively! Immediately afterwards, Growlithe was no longer visible as his body began spinning insanely. The Flame Wheel grew in size as it spinned its way towards a scared and shocked Bagon.

"GROWLITHEE!" "BAGONN!" Both Pokémon screamed out for completely different reasons as the spinning wheel of fire met the little Dragon Type. A huge explosion occurred as Bagon's entire body was engulfed in fire. It tried defending itself with its skull, but the grinding motion of the Flame Wheel was just too much for the Dragon Type as it was violently launched away. Landing painfully a few meters away, Bagon was groaning in pain, and surely didn't look like he would move any time soon.

Ash recognized what to do at that exact moment.

"Go Pokeball!" Unclipping an empty Pokeball from his belt, Ash hurled the Pokeball towards Bagon, who made a weak motion with his left hand, but the Pokeball hit it nevertheless. Bagon disappeared into the Pokeball in a flash of red light. The Pokeball wobbled uncertainly for a while as Ash, Growlithe and Pikachu (who had been silent during the entire battle) watched in anticipation.

Finally, after the fourth wobble, the Pokeball dinged, indicating that the capture was indeed complete.

"Alright, I caught a Bagon!" "Growlithe growl!" Ash and Growlithe jumped up in happiness as their victory finally became official.

"You were awesome Growlithe!" Ash patted Growlithe's head, whose tail shook in happiness. Ash however returned Growlithe not long after, since rest was essential to him after such a long battle. Not to mention that he activated his Ability; probably for the first time, so that would have been even more tiring for the little dog Pokémon.

But even after all this, one thing was still confounding Ash… the motion which Bagon made just before its capture…

'_Did Bagon…. Did it really flip me off?'_

**XXX**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter guys. I admit it was a bit short, but it was only to address some of the things most reviewers had problems with.**

**Ash caught a Bagon, so that should be interesting enough for you lot! **

**Tango Charlie O.U.T.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: I do not own Pokémon. But that is sure to change now, my loyal supporters! For I, Tango Charlie, have finally reached my Super Saiyan transformation! Nintendo can't possible say no to a SSJ, can they?**

**IMPORTANT A/N 2: **Guys, from every chapter now on, I'll be doing OMAKES called as Pokedex Chronicles. These are basically what could be done by taking the Pokdexes literally. So yeah, clusterfucks.

**XXX**

_Kanto…_

Two figures stood before a large arena. Loud blazing sounds were coming out, people cheering, music, announcements and the like. The surrounding area was completely crowded with people, flashy banners were put up everywhere, and multiple shops were set up. It was a full festive atmosphere; children laughed on their father's shoulders, people took pictures with their Pokémon, multiple stalls were set up and a cheesy magic show was going on.

The duo raked in the sights, having already taken advantage of the catering present. If a person were to observe the two, one would see a very odd sight of a yellow colored electric mouse happily perched on top of a hat bearing boy.

The two figures were indeed none other than Ash Ketchum and his trusty Pikachu.

"Looks like things are going on full stream here, isn't that right Pikachu?" Ash asked- a grin on his face as he surveyed his surroundings. Having been to many such festivals and special occasions with his parents, and as a trainer during his journey, Ash relished in the positive atmosphere present.

"ChuPikachu!" Pikachu's eyes sparkled as he pumped a fist in the air. A bit of red stain on the corner of his mouth was no less the reason. Ash had allowed Pikachu to partake a full snack of a Ketchup bottle after all the particularly hard training they had done during the one month they spent on Mount Silver. Pikachu also kept happy memories of events like these; as a wild Pokémon, such places were a major food source for him.

Ash could honestly say that going to the secluded area was one of the best decisions of his life. The hardcore training he had done with his Pokémon had paid its dividends as his team looked much more balanced now. The power discrepancy wasn't nearly as much as it had been before. Not to mention the experience of sleeping under the clear night sky, bereft of the pollution present in the cities, was a particularly novel experience. It was one of the things that Ash liked the best about his hometown, Pallet. Being cut off from the major cities, and having a population of not more than 700 people, Pallet town had a very peaceful vibe attached to it.

However, such things weren't on Ash's mind today, as he looked at the two figures emblazoned present on the two tickets he had bought for today's events.

"Our buddy has sure gone a long way, Pikachu….. From the parking lots and backdrops to one of the largest Arena's in the nation!" Ash said as he once again looked at the large stadium before him. "You know, I don't think he would even want to come with us now…"

Pikachu immediately shook his head and said in his own language to Ash that such a thing was not possible. That pacified Ash a little. Clutching the tickets in hand, Ash and Pikachu entered into the Madison Square Garden, the most prestigious arena in all of Kanto. The structure was capable of holding a total of 20,000 people. The number, while a bit less than what stadiums like Lily of the Valley could hold, was due to the recent rulings preventing stand up areas. The Arena had been a part of Kanto since the very beginning of the first Pokémon League, and was also the place where the first Kanto regional Champion was crowned.

The Garden also hosted other events. But the most prestigious of them all was Wrestling. The Pro Wrestling events were a big hit, but the actual nitty gritty action of MMA and Pokémon Wrestling were prominent in their own rights. And the last event was the main reason why the fabulous duo of Ash and Pikachu made their way inside.

Today was the final match of the Pokémon Wrestling League. The PWL operated on a much smaller basis than the official Pokémon League, but its follow ship was still large and most importantly, loyal.

The PWL had a rule that banned the use of Elemental attacks, since it would draw away from the physical aspects of actual Pokémon wrestling. And thus, the fights usually consisted of heavy duty punching and kicking, and even high flying maneuvers from lighter weight Pokémon.

"Damn….. the…..crowd…sure…. is thick, Pikachu!" Ash said to his Pokémon as they squeezed their way through the massive throngs of the people. Pikachu was in a similar squished state as multiple taller men surrounded his trainer in a battle to get inside. The battle today pitted the Champion's Blaziken against a Pokémon both Ash and Pikachu knew very well. People of all nationalities had come to see a match of such prestige.

"Get out of my way!"

"Hey! Where the hell is my ticket!?"

"Julia, hold my hand!"

"Outta mah way nigga!"

"I'mma waste you mothafuckas if you keep pushin' me around!"

"Get outta my way amigos! "

Needless to say, it wasn't a pretty sight… and certainly not a place for someone to be with kids.

Finally getting to their front row seats; courtesy of a large amount of money shelled from Ash's million dollar bank account, Ash breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down. "Woosh! I never imagined that so many people were interested in this kind of shows Pikachu." Ash said to his Pokémon, who nodded a bit shakily. It had taken all of Pikachu's self control to not Thundershock all of those people into next week. What with all the pushing around!'

A lot of people had also brought handmade signs from their houses to support their favorite Wrestlers. The Arena had a full house tonight, and thus the atmosphere was electric for Ash and Pikachu, who were attending a event like this for the first time.

Ash felt himself lucky to be able to buy a ticket solely for the final match. It did cost him a pretty penny, but the reason he was here was more than worth it. Remembering the second ticket in hand, Ash took out a Pokeball from his belt.

"Infernape, come on out." Ash said as he tapped the button on the Pokeball. The fire monkey arrived without any of its usual grandeur, and politely took the seat beside Ash. The reason being that Ash had already informed Infernape of the events that were to come, and had thus given him appropriate instructions about how to act. For example, keeping control of his flame body attribute. It would be a disaster if Infernape somehow lost control of his ability.

Several people around gasped and a few yelped as the powerful Fire type appeared in a bright flash. Ash was a bit confused with the situation since it wasn't uncommon for a Fighting Type Pokémon to take their place in the stands to observe and learn from battles; the ticket seller had told him so. And besides, he had already demonstrated to the organizers that Infernape was more than able to keep his body under control. And for extra measure, he had brought Blastoise's Pokeball with him too.

"Is there a problem?" Ash asked a nearby sitting boy, about his own age, who was looking over Infernape with awe and a bit of fear from all angles.

"Damn sure there is! What Pokémon is this!?" The boy asked as several more people nodded in agreement.

"Yeah man, this sure ain't from Kanto or Johto!"

"Could this be an evolution of Primeape!?"

Ash stifled a chuckle at that. '_This reminds of the time when people mistook a Seviper as an evolution of Arbok…'_ "You're right, this is Infernape, and he is from Sinnoh. The fully evolved started from that region actually…" Ash said as Infernape nervously waved back to the people, many of whom were clicking pictures of him.

The following ten minutes were spent as the people kept on harassing Ash and Infernape for details and more details about Pokémon from Sinnoh and whether Ash had more of them. Some even suggested a trade! Finally, security had to come and take the situation under control, although even they were looking at the Pokémon with appraising looks.

"I just can't wait for the match to start!" Ash's feet tapped in excitement as the announcer made his way to the center of the ring.

"_**Ladies and Gentlemen, give your hands to our one and only, MICHAEL BUFFTER!" **_

The legendary announcer, a short man with grayed hair, was wearing an official looking suit and had a face full of confidence.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Leeeeet's get ready to rumble!" The announcer said his trademark phrase, a smile tugging on his lips. Getting serious once more, he continued.

"We of the PWL, welcome you to Monday Night NitRaw." The crowd popped loudly at that, Ash and Pikachu clapping along.

"Tonight's main event is for the Pokémon Wrestling League World Championship'ah, and it is for one fall." The Announcer continued. The crowd cheered even more wildly at that; many of them standing up to wave their signs in the air.

"Accompanied by CM Drunk, coming from LaRousse City, weighing in at 150 pounds, the self proclaimed best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be, the PWL Champion of the Woooooooooorrllddddddddddd, Stoooooooooooone Blazikeeeennnnnnn!" The roof went of the arena as the sound of bottle smashing filled the arena. Heavy metal tunes followed as the Champion entered to a large amount of pyro, accompanied by his trainer, CM Drunk. The Blaziken wore a big gold colored belt on his torso, a proof of his current reign over the heavyweight division. Ash was stunned by the sheer muscle mass that the Blaziken packed; it was simply out of the world! The crowd went wild, cheering Blaziken's name with excitement.

But there was one thing that confused Ash even greater "That guy's name is CM Drunk!?" Ash loud proclamation caused a person sitting next to him to scoff.

"Of course not **kid**! That's just his gimmick name…. What has the PWL come to…..They let just anyone with a ticket enter now…." The last part was grumbled out as Ash turned away, face flushed in embarrassment. It wasn't his fault that it was his first visit to a wrestling arena!

Ignoring the mutterings of 'noob' and 'stupid battlers', an embarrassed Ash, Infernape and Pikachu turned their attentions back to the arena, where Blaziken was waving to the crowd with a smile on his face, with CM Drunk smirking alongside him.

Seeing as the cheering stopped somewhat, the announcer took back his place "This guy has fought his way through from the bottom of the wrung, and quite impressively too! Accompanied by his handler Anthony, weighing in at 120 pounds, please welcome, the number one contender for the PWL Championship, Raaaageeeee Primeeeeaaaappeee!"

Another Heavy Metal song; this one more lyric heavy, filled the arena as the crowd clapped for the entering number one contender.

But none more so than Ash and Pikachu.

"YEAH! GO PRIMEAPE! WE BELIEVE IN YOU BUDDY!" Ash screamed in the loudest voice he could muster, standing up in his front row seat, waving to the entering Primeape.

"PIKACHU PI PIKA!" Pikachu and Infernape were in a similar state as they….. waved banners and wore headbands with Primeape's likenesses on them, which they apparently conjured out of nowhere.

Oh well, Pokémon magic.

"Pri?" The Pig monkey Pokémon squinted his eyes as he watched the two overenthusiastic fans in the arena. Anthony noticed his Pokémon's confusion as he looked in the same direction. A split second later, a disbelieving look took hold of Anthony's face as he finally recognized the person cheering wildly for the number one contender.

"Holy shit…." Anthony's voice, a mere whisper, was clearly audible to Primeape, who was in a similarly stunned state. "T-that's…" Primeape nodded dumbly. Without event he need to say anything, the duo's pace quickened by a large degree as they made their way to the ring, near which Ash and Pikachu were sitting.

"YO, PRIMEAPE!" Ash yelled as many people scowled at him for such attention grabbing antics. '_As if the Infernape's not enough….'_ Many of them thought grouchily.

As the music stopped, the people waited for the match to start, but much to everyone's confusion, Primeape and Anthony sprinted their way towards the barricade, which separated the fans from the Wrestlers and Pokémon.

"Hey Primeape, it's been a long while, hmm!" Ash grinned towards Primeape, with Pikachu joining in. Infernape gave a polite salute.

The duo was completely oblivious to the utter rage that was present on Primeape's face, as they continued grinning towards him.

"_**What's this? Ladies and Gentlemen it seems that our number one contenders are conversing with a fan….. And wait, this fan is none other than Mr. Ash Ketchum, the winner of this year's Unova League! Guys, it seems that Primeape has some pretty big fans!" **_The voice boomed out of the stereo as the crowd gasped. Soon, many people began cheering for Ash, who happily waved a hand towards them.

"And Anthony, how are you? I hope you have been taking care of Primeape while I was gone!" Ash said with a happy demeanor as he turned towards the Trainer, who was smiling nervously, recognizing the angry shroud that had taken hold of Primeape at the moment; he was more than familiar with that look.

"Uh… Ash, this sure is a…. pleasant surprise." Anthony said to Ash, while shaking his hand. '_Although it might not be as pleasant for you in a matter of moments…'_ The Wrestling trainer thought as he turned to look at Primeape, whose eyes had turned completely white with rage by now.

"I think you should uh, meet with Primeape now, he's been waiting a long time, ya know." Anthony said with false cheer as he turned Ash and Pikachu in the direction of Primeape.

"Aww.. I've missed you too buddy, come and give your trainer a hug!" Ash would probably never know just what demon had took hold of his body at that exact moment; surely he could not have had spoken words of such utter stupidity himself?

Come to think of it, Gengar's Pokeball had vibrated slightly….

Primeape smirked. '_Oh I'll give you a hug alright…'_ he thought as he moved menacingly towards his trainer, who had finally begun sensing the impending doom.

"Uh Primeape? W-What a-are you doing?" Ash asked nervously as Pikachu hid a bit behind his cap. "Chu…"

"Pri…."

"Uh…..buddy?"

"MAPE!"

"Oh lawd!"

**XXX**

**Many miles away…**

_Oak Laboratory…_

Professor Oak sighed as he comfortably sat in his massage chair; taking happiness in a rare moment of relaxation. Indeed, even turning sixty four hadn't caused his work load to lessen a bit. As a matter of fact, his position as an experienced scientist caused him much harassment from young aspiring researchers; most of whom called him regularly to report the existence of a new species, which eventually turned out to be a shiny Pokémon. Or a piece of garbage. Not to mention most of the trainers who worked under his guidance called him regularly asking for updates on their Pokémon, or even to rotate their teams. The Kanto police still submitted to him regular reports on major criminal activities by syndicates like Team Rocket; his reputation as a Champion level trainer hadn't diminished in the least; although he knew better than that.

Not to mention the daily 'hugs' he got from Ash's Muk. He loved the 'adorable' Pokémon; he really did. But Muk's hugs were almost like being flattened by steel drums, with an acidic coating to boot.

Needless to say, 64 year old Samuel Oak had started hating the familiar ringing of the telephone, and also took a moment of his life to curse the inventor every day.

***RING RING* PHONE CALL! PHONE CALL! *RING RING***

Cursing under his breath, a grumpy Professor Oak took his place before the screen. Picking up the phone, he said into the receiver "Hello, this is Samuel Oak speaking."

However, much to his surprise (happily) it wasn't some young upstart who had called him. Rather, it was his old student, Spencer Hale.

"Spencer!? Wow, what a surprise! What can I do for you, son?" Oak asked as he smiled at the man he considered a pseudo son.

"Hey Professor! Been a long time, hasn't it? How are Ash and Delia?" Spencer asked, momentarily ignoring Oak's question.

"It sure has Spencer, and both of them are fine. In fact, Ash is out on his latest journey, training for the Champions League. And how is Molly by the way, still causing you problems?"

"Ah, yes yes, the Champions League. And Molly is fine, she actually goes to a pretty high end school now, said she didn't want to toil in the dirt all day with Pokémon… But back to the matter at hand, Professor, the reason I have called you today is for a thing of utmost importance, something that I guarantee will shake the foundations of your world."Spencer said with utmost seriousness, making Samuel Oak look up in surprise.

"Surprise me?" Oak said mirth evident in his voice, "My boy, I have seen and heard enough my long life for anything to truly surprise me anymore!" He conveniently chose to forget the memory of Ash revealing his legendary encounters. Literally, Legendary.

Spencer had a serious look on his face as he spoke "Professor, what if I told you that Pokémon could reach a level above their final evolutions. What if there was a level….a level comparable to what the gods themselves could reach."

Professor Oak looked stunned "M-My boy! Do you understand what you are saying? A level above the final evolutions? God's were obviously a reference to the Legendary Pokémon, and while I don't disagree that Pokémon could get that powerful, how on earth can they reach an evolution past what they can get now?" Samuel didn't show it, but he was especially worried now. Did his student dabble into the dark side of Pokémon research? The side which tortured these empathic beings without any regard for their safety- only in the name of science?

Spencer, having been a student of Oak's for many years, immediately noticed the small look of concern present on his mentors face "Worry not Professor, what I am researching is neither something dark, nor going against the law of nature. What I am doing is researching on the strange stones which have been found all over the world, the stones which make some of the Pokémon react strangely to them. Its research which has been spearheaded by me, you can very well imagine what might happen if organizations like Team Rocket or the other seemingly disbanded groups get this information. And besides, my research is being funded by none other than the Champion of Kanto."

Oak breathed a sigh of relief at that "If Lance is involved, then I am a hundred percent sure what you are doing is nothing illegal Spencer. I hope you can forgive me my boy, but I can't help but worry when matters as delicate as this come up." Oak then looked up with a smile "So…. What is it that you wish to show me Spencer?"

**XXX**

_Madreson Square Garden…_

"I phink I phesurved thlat." A thoroughly swelled up and partly purple colored Ash said to an equally banged up looking Pikachu. Pikachu weakly nodded, trying to nurse the injuries over one of his swollen eyes.

"You really should have not waited this long Ash…" Anthony muttered as he dabbed antiseptic coated cotton over one of Ash's many bruises.

After Ash's blatant disregard for the time he had left Primeape, the Pig Monkey had not waited a moment in exacting sweet vengeance upon Ash. And indeed, after learning the reason for Primeape's anger, both the security and Infernape held back. The raven haired boy deserved some flak for leaving one of his team members for so long….

….Although the punishment might have gone a bit overboard.

After that Primeape had promptly broken down into waterfall tears, hugging Ash and Pikachu. Ash somehow babbled to Primeape that it was alright, and that he should give his best in the match.

And indeed, Primeape took up his position before Stone Blaziken, who had an amused smile on his face from the events unfolding before him. Shaking his head, Stone schooled his emotions and gave a respectful bow to his worthy opponent. Primeape did the same, for it was the Champion he was facing.

"_**Uhm… A-Anyway, it seems that Mr. Ketchum and Primeape have settled their differences, and the match is ready to start!" **_The Crowd cheered, the altercation seconds ago forgotten "_**Back to Michael!"**_

"The match begins…..NOW!"

The two barely noticeable blurs reached each other in a matter of seconds. Their fists met with the sound of a cannon going off. Both the Pokémon engaged each other in close combat battle. Primeape's fists shot towards Stone's face; only for the Pokémon to move his head a few inches sideward to escape injury free.

Primeape's eyes widened at the sheer speed Blaziken showed in the particular area of his body. Taking advantage of his opponents shocked state; Blaziken launched a lightning fast knee onto Primeape's body, only for the Monkey to catch it in his hands. Giving no time to think, Blaziken's other leg rose, hitting Primeape with a deafening crack on the side of his body. A perfect Enzuigiri.

Primeape, unprepared for the attack, was launched off his feet, but took control and landed on his feet a few feet back. Both the Pokémon stared at the other for a few seconds, their brains running at light speeds for strategies. Primeape cleared his mind, and a moment later, his gloved fist glowed in a white fiery aura.

Focus Punch.

Using its training enhanced strength, the Pig Monkey jumped over a great height, immediately extending his fists towards a wary Blaziken. Just as Primeape reached Blaziken's level, the Pokémon moved backwards with amazing speed, Primeape missing by a mere inch. But much to Blaziken's confusion, Primeape's descent didn't falter or slow down for him to take advantage- as he had thought the scenario to be. Rather, Primeape's Focus Punch met the ground with a sound resembling a grenade going off.

The ground exploded under Primeape- and by extension, Blaziken, encasing the two Pokémon in a momentary dust cloud. Blaziken blinked as a sudden Sky Uppercut hit its jaws. Spit and blood flew from Blaziken's mouth as his body jerked forward-

-Only for Primeape to use a spinning kick on his adversary's torso to launch him into the building. The dual attack had its effect as Blaziken nursed its ribs; a couple cracked up from the attacks coming in lightning quick fashion.

The crowd was in awe as the Champion took two consecutive hits- even before making any of his own on the number one contender!

"Wow… Primeape's awesome." Ash muttered as Pikachu and Infernape watched on with wide eyes. Infernape gulped as his own inadequacy became so much clearer, he was nothing compared to the two in front of him when considering hand to hand combat.

Primeape smirked at his opponent as he raised his gloved fist in a taunting manner- as if saying 'Come and get me!'. Blaziken, while letting anger take hold of his body for a moment, smirked as he focused his mind. Primeape was a thousand years too early to use such antics; and expect them to work, on him.

Primeape's eyes widened as Blaziken's body suddenly shimmered away from view. Blinking, the Pig Monkey extended his senses to locate the direction towards which its opponent had vanished. The hairs on his neck stood up as Primeape attempted to dodge, but had no effect as a lightning quick punch hit his furry body. Storm Throw.

As the attack hit, a loud crack sound was created, following which, Primeape cried out in pain as he was launched off his feet and sent tumbling towards the arena wall, which he met in a loud crash.

"Oh no! Primeape!" Ash yelled in worry. Infernape merely watched on coolly, the previous amazement forgotten, taking mental notes on the fighting styles of the two Pokémon.

"Bla!" Blaziken didn't even give a moment of rest to his fallen opponent as he vanished in an Agility. However, instead of appearing anywhere near Primeape, he appeared a few feet above the tumbling monkey. Giving a war cry, Blaziken lift one of his hands a chopping fashion, the said hand glowed with visible energy as the air around it shimmered due to the concentration of Aura around it.

Primeape, sensing the immediate danger, immediately lifted both of his hands in a similar chopping fashion. Cross Chop met Karate Chop in a fabulous show of energy. A loud bang was created as the two Pokémon were engulfed in a bright light. The crowd covered their eyes as the power attacks met each other. With no Pokémon willing to give the other an advantage, the Agility powered up Karate Chop met the weakened Primeape's power move Cross Chop.

As the smoke and light cleared, the crowd gasped as the situation became clearer to them. Having already been close to the wall, Primeape was painfully embedded in the concrete structure, only a couple of twitches gave any indication that Primeape was awake. A fair distance away, Blaziken stood breathing harshly, sporting two ugly purple bruises on his torso, showing that Primeape had indeed managed to do damage.

The referee assessed the situation as he began speaking "The number one contender is taken out, the winner of this bout is-" The referee was cut off a low, guttural growl filled the arena.

The crowd watched in amazement as Primeape pulled itself out of the hole it was stuck into. A fiery aura covered Primeape as he emerged, beating its gloves and steam coming out from its snout. The Pokémon looked enraged, as was made clear when it let out a screech of absolute power and anger, making wind gales from the sheer ferocity behind it.

"PRIMEAPEE!"

"Ken!" Blaziken had to shield his face as the sheer power of Primeape begun making itself into a layer above the Pig Monkey. However, the Pokémon took one look at his trainer, who just motioned two fingers in a strange motion. Nodding in acceptance, Blaziken immediately closed his eyes for a moment and loosened his body. Just as he opened them, Blaziken's usual eyes were glowing a pinkish aura, and the muscles on his body bulged considerably, giving the appearance of a Machoke to the lean and thin Pokémon.

However, most of the crowd was far too busy observing Primeape to notice the sudden changes in Blaziken. Primeape looked like the combination of an enraged Tauros and Bouffalant. The Pig Monkey's breaths were accompanied by the coming of wasps of steam from its snout. The Pokémon's body temperature reached unnatural heights, feeding into its anger.

"T-That is…." Ash muttered, a look of awe on his face.

The match between Rage Primeape, and the Champion Stone Blaziken, begins…..NOW!"

And by that, the two competitors sprang into blurs. The speed at which the two shot off towards each

"Anger Point. Primeape's ability." Anthony said with a smirk.

Primeape screeched as he launched himself at high level speeds towards Blaziken. Immediately launching a Mach Punch, Primeape's anger soared even more as Blaziken blocked it using a Force Palm. The two attacks met with a loud thumping sound; however no damage was done to either of the Pokémon. Luckily, the Force Palm's paralyzing effect was nullified by Primeape's Mach Punch.

Primeape, angrier than ever, used this moment to twist his hand into grabbing Blaziken's own in a vice grip, allowing him to prevent Blaziken from retreating. Primeape ducked with lightning quick motion to launch a Low Kick which sweeped under Blaziken's jumping legs. Primeape, giving no notion of an organized attack, used this moment to hit Blaziken with a good old fashioned Headbutt right in the stomach region, making the Fire Type buckle up in pain. Primeape used his other hand to immediately launch a one handed Close Combat on Blaziken who was launched a bit above due to the intensity behind the attack. Blaziken experienced searing pain on his body from the fast punches.

Blaziken, knowing that the time to act was either now or never, took advantage of his opponent's lowered body to jump on top of him. Taking a summersault in the air, Blaziken displayed considerable strength as he yanked Primeape's body up. The joined hands were separated as a result of the sudden jerk, allowing Blaziken to wrap his hands and legs around Primeape's inverted body. Blaziken gave a war cry as they descended onto the ground at speeds capable of turning a normal human into mush. The two Pokémon, ten feet above in the air, smashed into the ground with a loud boom.

A Piledriver.

The scene which unfolded next made everyone cringe, and almost made Ash jump into the area to help his Pokémon. Primeape's head was engulfed into the ground, or at least a part of it. His whole body was covered in bruises and even singed in a couple of places due to close contact with the fire type Blaziken. The said fire type was standing a few ways back, out of breath and looking close to fainting.

"OH NO! PRIMEAPE!" Ash cried out as he looked towards his Pokémon helplessly.

However, the level of concern was unneeded as the Fiery aura once again took hold of Primeape, making him get up from the ground with a shudder, shaking all over as his body hurt all over.

However, Ash and Anthony were more than surprised by the fact that Blaziken's body didn't have nearly as much damage as it should have from Primeape's attacks.

Ash was watching with a critical gaze as was Anthony "How is this possible… Even if Primeape's attacks were low powered one, with his Ability he should have beaten Blaziken by now…. So how…"

Anthony was similarly confused. Just how was the Blaziken still standing up? Anthony looked at Blaziken, and his eyes widened a moment later "So that's how!" He exclaimed, making Ash and a couple of people sitting nearby look at him.

"Huh? What Anthony?" Ash asked.

"Blaziken, he has used Bulk up! That's why he was able to smash Primeape and not entirely keel over from his attacks!"

A look of understanding came to Ash's face '_So that's how…..'_ He looked back to the wrestling area where Primeape and Blaziken glared at each other '_I hope you can win buddy, give your best!'_

The Pig Monkey heaved for breath as he stood up. Looking towards his equally exhausted opponent in the eye, Primeape and Blaziken shared a moment of understanding, one which could only be achieved between two beings beating the utter shit out of each other. An understanding that whatever attacks they were about to perform next would likely be their last, and define just who would take their place in history.

"Pri!" Primeape's entire body tensed and all of his muscles, tendons and ligaments went into overdrive as energy flew through his being. Primeape charged forward towards Blaziken, fists raised to do heavy damage. Anger Point intensified Primeape's focus; rather than distorting it, making him see just the eye of the fish, everything else was just blanked to him.

Anger Point and Final Gambit.

"Blaziken!" Blaziken's flames intensified as his own body energy overflowed. The Bulk up did its job in merely making it sure than Blaziken's own body didn't give up from the overflow of energy. A primal look took hold of Blaziken's face as CM Drunk cheered it on, saying that the time had come to use their finish. Blaziken's muscles bulged beyond belief as he shook with the sheer desire to smash and destroy.

Thrash and Superpower.

"PRIMEAPE!" "BLAZIKEN!"

**XXX**

_**A day later….**_

_**Johto**_

"This indeed is quite extensive Spencer. I can see that you have done a mighty great job on it. But I still don't understand just what is it that you wish for me to understand from these historical pictures?" A slightly exasperated Oak asked as he looked the stacks of pictures and files that Spencer had laid out in front of him as they sat in his office.

Spencer had been extremely vague to Oak, saying that the matter was of such secrecy and importance and the only way he could show it to Oak was if he could somehow meet him in his office in Johto, which was the base of operations.

A quick alternating ride on his Charizard and Dragonite, and Professor Samuel Oak was once again in Johto after the events involving Unknown and Entei; also, Molly, Spencer's daughter.

"So…. Spencer, what is it exactly that you wished to show me today? Have you made progress on your studies on the Unknown?" Oak asked curiously, that did seem to be the most viable reason.

"While I would have liked to say that I did, unfortunately my studies on the Unknown have been as good as the namesake. But what I am here to show you today is something much more amazing, something…..Extraordinary."

"Well then, tell me, my boy! I have been waiting all the while now!" Oak said with a chuckle.

Spencer rose a hand "Very well Professor, I will explain it to you now." He said as he rose up from his seat to switch on the projector. The lights dimmed automatically as the multiple monoliths and ancient pictures were shown on the screen.

"Professor, while conducting my research on the various Archeological sites, I and my team stumbled across many ancient pictures, drawn by extinct civilizations. Now this" He clicked a button on the remote. "Is a picture of a Charizard, but tell me, can you see some difference on it?"

Oak hummed as he studied the picture "I can definitely see that it is a Charizard. But then… there are multiple spikes present on various parts of its body….. And its tail seems to be a bit different too. Not to mention its jagged style of wings…. Can it be some ancient version of the Charizard we see today?"

Spencer had a smile on his face as he nodded "Yes! Indeed you are right Professor; this Charizard drawn here is different from the others. Now this is another figure of a Pokémon we both can agree is once again Charizard, but can you see that the drawing has been forcibly done using Black and Blue colors, and that all the figures show two columns of flame on both sides of Charizard's mouth?"

"Yes I can indeed see that. But is it not possible that these drawings are flukes? After all, humans and Pokémon didn't share such a close or peaceful relationship back then."

"No. These are no flukes. Such paintings have been found all over the world, Inca, Maya, Indus Valley, and even the Samurai have murals and paintings showing these Pokémon in the position where we keep the Pokémon like Moltres, Lugia, and even Mew. No sir, these are absolutely no flukes."

"I see… I must say that this is a very fascinating discovery Spencer. My word, Charizard having an extra evolution!"

"Not just Charizard Professor, look at these." Spencer said as he pushed the next button. Oak watched with wide eyes as a alternate looking Tyranitar, Gengar, Garchomp, Alakazam, Lucario, the three Hoenn and Kanto starters, Gradevoir, and many more flashed before his eyes. He almost fell off his seat as a picture clearly showed a Tyranitar changing into a much more fearsome version of it. The morphed Tyranitar had an armor which looked much more spiky and magnificent than its usual one, as well as standing a good few feet above its previous version. The new Tyranitar was surrounded by a heavenly light, as if showing its entry into the realm of gods. People and Pokémon alike bowed down to him as he looked towards the sky.

Another painting showed a horrifying scene. From what Oak could gather, it was a scene from the Roman Era. A Gengar was shown entering into its evolved phase, losing its legs and gaining much bulk. The new Gengar was shown having a much more sinister look to it. Unlike the Tyranitar, who was shown as a figure entering into heavenly light, Gengar instead was shown to represent the darkness. A scene from hell was shown, as Gengar was followed by people wearing druid clothes.

It was a very creepy picture to say the least.

One of the oldest wall paintings, which Spencer said belonged to the ancient cave dwellers, showed a modified Aerodactyl, carrying away people and slaying Pokémon like Gyrados. The Aerodacty's wings were similar to the modified Charizards. It also looked much fearsome than its usual appearance.

A Gyrados was also shown. Much larger than its counterparts, the evolved Gyrados's back wing was enlarged to enormous proportions, while its body lost its streamlined shape. It looked like some of the Kaijju of the legend and science fiction movies. It was utterly terrifying.

"Satisfied, Professor?" Spencer asked, a wry grin present on his face.

Oak looked completely shaken up. His face was pale and beads of sweat ran down his face. The things he had seen in that video were just too much for it to be some kind of a hoax! So many civilizations, so many generations, and so far apart places! How could he refute such things? Also, as a scientist, he had a mind more open than the everyday Joe.

"M-My boy….. T-This is just fascinating!" Oak's voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "In all my days of research, I didn't think I could do anything better than publishing reports about Dragonite, but this, **this **is absolutely amazing! This could shake up the world of Pokémon, and I just don't understand why haven't reports about such things come up sooner?"

"I can't tell you that Professor, but I have something even better for you to know."

Oak looked up at Spencer, the excitement in his eyes as visible as could be "What is it Spencer?"

"There actually is a reported sighting of a Pokémon which has Mega Evolved." Hale said, almost giving Oak a heart attack.

"W-W-Where!?" Oak asked as he shook Spencer's shoulders.

"In the ruins of Armeticus, surely you have heard about that place? In fact, the lead scientist working there even captured it on screen!" Spencer said excitedly.

"Holy….."

"That's not the end of it Professor. See this video."

Professor Oak sat in stunned silence as the video played before him. The contents were just _that _interesting. The whole thing was done in the style of an amateur documentary, and the screen had a yellowish tint to it; showing that it was indeed done way back in 1978, when Video Cameras were still a thing of imagination for many people.

The scene opened when the face of a man of about Spencer's age appeared on the screen. He had black hair, along with a face that had a color similar to Ash's friend Iris. The man wore khaki colored clothes that many adventurers preferred to wear, complete with a hat. And as Oak noticed, a few Pokeballs of the older variety were attached to his belt, along with a couple of knives and folded parchments. The man's face was caked with dirt and sweat, obviously showing his time living in the wild. Much activity was shown in the background, where many people wearing similar clothing were present, along with a lot of grouped up people wearing simple clothes; obviously villagers from the looks of it.

"_September, 1978  
Dullapur Lagoon, Ruins of Armeticus_

Project: Danav

"_My name is Kumar Mihant. This is day 341 of my expedition in the ruins of Armeticus. I am making this video log exactly at 9:48pm, September 25__th__, 1978. I and my team have been looking for what surely could be the biggest discovery that man has made in the last 10 years. We have been in the wilderness, looking for the signs of a Pokémon the locals have described to have a regal appearance, and having a majorly blue color. The Pokémon has been successfully identified as Memtopira Lucaris, or in common words, a Lucario."_

The scene cut to show a prior video, where hundreds of villagers squatted in an area, while the researchers moved around showing various pictures depicting the various Pokémon. Many villagers spoke up in their native language to identify Lucario. 'Danav' was the word they used to describe the Pokémon. It was pretty clear that they greatly feared the anomaly.

"_You might wonder, 'What's so special about Lucario, it's been here and known about since the days of Sir Aaron?'. Well, my fellow scientists, what if I tell you that the Lucario we are talking about here is neither a shiny nor normal in any way. We have reason to believe that this particular Lucario has ascended the limits present on its body, and completely changed its DNA Structure? Its coloration is not all that different, as the locals described, but its body is much more robust and having attachments not usually present in the Pokémon of its species. We asked the best painters of the villages to draw the image of what they ahd observed in the bare glimpses they got of it, take a look here-" _

Kumar held out a few intricately drawn pictures of a Pokémon vaguely resembling Lucario, but it was clearly not the Aura Pokémon; at least not the one everyone knew.

"_As you can see friends, the Lucario seen here has much longer cream colored fur, the reason for this seems unsure as of now. The Pokémon has slimmer thighs, showing that its physical capabilities requiring the use of legs have increased significantly. The Pokémon was said to have been extremely fast, darting across a mountain in the span of mere seconds! We can also see that the spikes on the back of its paws are increased in number, probably to help in close quarter combat. Also, as has been recently proven by Mr. Kagawa Rocket, the appendages present on its head are actually for sensing the energy called as Aura, and in this specimen, the Aura sensing appendages are longer, showing heightened senses."_

Oak bit back a snarl at the name. '_Kagawa Rocket….'_ The man who created Team Rocket and conducted sadistic experiments on innocent Pokémon for god knows how long. The man contributed immensely to the Pokémon world, including the discovery of many previously unknown Eeveelutions. But the price paid for those discoveries was far too high to justify them…

Nevertheless, Oak put back his concentration on the video, where Kumar had just finished explaining more of the details he had observed in the pictures.

"…_and so my friends, we can conclude- hypothetically, of course, that the black markings on its body are indication of increase in Aura capabilities in the Pokémon. Keep in mind that the picture is in no way the 100% description of what the Pokémon is actually like, but it gives us a pretty good idea. The people seemed very fearful of the Pokémon, and I can guarantee you that such fear cannot be created artificially."_

Kumar then showed two printed photographs, both of them showing monoliths that Oak had already seen from Spencer's video.

"_To support these drawings, I have with much effort, managed to get exclusive pictures from places all around the world where ancient civilizations were known to thrive. Many of them show the pictures of a Pokémon like Lucario, and with much resemblance to the one the natives have drawn. I can conclude that the Pokémon indeed exists, and might even be the missing link that joins Lucario to other Aura sensing Pokémon, including some of the Prehistoric ones we have yet to discover. This of course raises the question about how an individual has been able to survive in the wild for so long; and even if it is a Lucario who was broken free of the restraints of its species and entered into the level his forefathers were known and feared for."_

The video abruptly ended there, causing Oak to blink his eyes in confusion over why the amazing piece had been stopped. He looked at Spencer with a questioning eye.

Spencer looked at Oak sadly "That was the whole video we have Professor, the rest has been lost to time. This particular part was the only one salvageable enough, and that too took our best technicians a full month to do."

Oak sighed "No need to apologize Spencer. This was one of the most informative pieces I have ever watched, and I must say I am honored that you chose me to see it. But I must ask, just how many videos where there?"

Spencer smiled bitterly "Over 50 of them. I know" He said as Oak's mouth fell open "The amount of data we could have gathered would have been mind blowing. But as far as we have come into our own, I doubt we will need it. Although firsthand experience from such a guy would have been very interesting to say the least."

"I have one more query, just why can't we talk to the guy himself? And why did he not publish his findings?" Oak asked in curiosity.

Spencer's face twisted, as if he was internally debating about something. A few seconds later, he seemingly came to a decision. "Professor, what I am about to show you is one of the biggest findings me and my team have made, and it will also answer your question about what happened to Mr. Mihant."

Samuel Oak watched in trepidation as Spencer put another disc into the player. Pushing a few buttons later, the video was playing.

Oak drew back in shock as the sounds of screaming and yelling filled the screen, the video camera looked to be lying on the ground, sideways. Torrential rainfall appeared to be taking place in the background, where multiple Pokémon were attacking at a blur shaped target. Multiple attacks were launched to no effect. Blue glowing spheres ripped many a trees apart and shattered many boulders. A Magmortar was blasted apart towards one of the mountainous rocks, slumping into unconsciousness, a Kingdra was buried underneath a large amount of rocks, and a Raichu was mercilessly defeated with what seemed to be a Close Combat.

Samuel Oak watched wide eyed as the scene of destruction took place before him.

"_Gah! Retreat, RETREAT! Take your Pokémon and go to the nearest camp!"_

"_SHIT! Magmortar is down! Captain, it's time to abandon the mission, he's too strong!" _

"_Somebody come and help my Kingdra, he's stuck under the rocks!"_

"_Help! Oh shit, he coming this way!"_

"_RUN!"_

"_CHARIZARD, GO AND GET HELP!"_

"_SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!"_

And so on. Screams and roars littered as Oak finally recognized the man known as Kumar Mihant facing down an enemy whose shape wasn't exactly clear amid all the rain. Mihant had a Sceptile out, but the Forest Pokémon looked completely out of energy.

"_J-Just w-what are you!" _The man had managed to speak out, as he stared into the red eyes of his enemy.

Low growling came as response. A split second later, two glowing spheres were launched from the shadowy figure and Mihant and Sceptile were knocked into unconsciousness. Oak watched with an utterly shocked gaze as the Pokémon finally emerged from the shadows. Unfortunately, much of the screen was covered in a mixture of dirt, grime and water. The Pokémon seemingly noticed the video camera, and casually made his way towards it. The stunned Professor watched with wide eyes as the legs of the Pokémon came into view. It proved to him without a doubt that the Pokémon they were seeing

Spencer paused the video for a second, causing Oak to look at his student. "As you just saw Professor, Mr. Kumar and his Sceptile were hit by an Aura Sphere attack. While Sceptile made a full recovery, Mr. Kumar did not; he currently resides in the Santa Maria Hospital, undergoing mental evaluations. The Aura Sphere affected his psyche to a horrible degree; the wavelengths generated were just too much for a mere human to bear." He said sadly.

Oak looked a bit sullen at that, but felt the need to ask "But Spencer, what I don't understand is just why did the Pokémon attack the group? Are the Pokémon reaching this stage violent by nature? Or do they lose control of their mental faculties?" Worry had seeped into Professor oak's mind. He was no fool, and had understood by now that Spencer and his team had hoped to replicate these Evolutions, eventually to a commercial level. But if it was so dangerous that the Pokémon went insane; it wasn't worth it.

Fortunately Spencer's answer erased his worries "The reason the Pokémon attacked was quite simple Professor. While the villagers feared the Pokémon for its mere existence, it had never been known to be violent or cruel; kept to him or herself mostly. No, what Mr. Mihant and his group did was resort to battle for capturing the Pokémon. And naturally; that caused the Pokémon to lash out. And with its abnormal strength, none of its opponents stood a chance. Not to mention that these were the Pokémon of archeologists and Mountaineers, and even researchers, and not professional trainers, so they weren't that well trained."

Both the men turned their attention back to the screen, where the Pokémon was partially visible.

The Pokémon looked completely spotless, at least the bottom part, not a common sight for one facing a Magmortar, Kingdra, Charizard and Sceptile at once. Oak didn't dare blink as the Pokémon lifted the Video camera curiously. The Lucario, as Oak surely recognized it now, tilted its head in wonder as he twice tapped the screen. The Professor watched with a studious eye as the Lucario's facial features were now finally visible.

It was almost exactly as the artists had drawn it. Just a lot more refined.

Suddenly, Lucario's aura sensors whirred, causing him to take one last look at the camera before crushing it.

The two scientists sat in silence for a long time, both of them unsure of what to say to their respective student/teacher.

"Well?" Spencer said after a baited silence.

"I-I don't know what to say Spencer. This is just…. Just too amazing! I can't believe what I have witnessed today! Another level of evolution, just how much do we have yet to discover?"

Spencer smirked "I told you Professor, didn't I? That this will shake up your world? Now, what if I tell you something even more amazing?"

Oak bristled "My boy! Just what could you tell me more? Do we have a Pokémon who could reach the next level!?"

Spencer chuckled "No, nothing that good yet Professor." Smiling at the rare childish grumble from his aged teacher, he continued "Me and my team have been working on ways to introduce these changes, which we have chosen to dub 'Mega Evolutions' to our Pokémon. After five years of consecutive searches, we have found that hundreds of thousands of the stones capable of inducing the Mega Evolutions are present in our country alone. Along with that, we have also found smaller, shinier stones that are almost always attached with these rocks in some manner. Me and my scientists have been working on a way to introduce this to the Pokémon world soon, say in about….. six months to a year? But now that we have you, Professor Oak, the target date might just be four months later." Spencer said to Samuel Oak, who was almost salivating at the prospect by now.

"That is of course, if you accep-" Spencer wasn't even able to finish as Professor Oak was already halfway through to one of the doors.

"TO THE LABORATORY!"

**XXX**

_Pokémon Centre, Kanto…_

"You've really grown Ash. Not a runt anymore, I see. And you've even packed some muscle, impressive!" Anthony said in a jovial tone as he patted Ash on the back, causing him to wheeze for breath.

"T-Thanks Anthony…" Ash said nervously as he edged a few inches away, lest he be a victim to another of Anthony's friendly pats.

"Haha! Oh, and by the way, how are Brock and Misty? I can see that they are not here with you today." Anthony asked curiously.

"Actually, I am travelling alone for some time, so that I can train for the Champions League. As for Brock and Misty, well, they are the respective Gym Leaders of Pewter and Cerulean city." Ash explained as a smile came to his face thinking of his oldest friends.

Anthony looked surprised "Gym Leaders? Good for them. Although I never pegged Misty to a be a Gym leader type of girl. She seemed to be more of an adventurer to me."

"Honestly, she is like that. But her sisters aren't really competent Gym Leaders, and so Misty had to take in the reigns or otherwise the Gym would have been shut down for its weakness." Ash said a bit sadly. While he didn't blame nor dislike Misty's sisters or for choosing their paths in life, a part of him did blame them for separating him and Misty after they had travelled for so long. She was one of his best friends at the time.

Luck lily, May, Max, Dawn, Iris, and Cilan filled that gap. Not to mention his various friends-cum-rivals he had met throughout his journey.

Anthony, sensing Ash's slight sad look, decided to change the topic "Anyways, what about you Ash, I heard that you won the Unova league. Gotta say that Garchomp of yours is pretty amazing." Seriously, Anthony hadn't even known that a Pokémon like Garchomp existed. Not surprising since Garchomp was a super rare Pseudo Legendary and Dragon Type. Not to mention found fleetingly in some of Sinnoh's caves.

Ash grinned at the praise "Heh, Garchomp _is _pretty amazing. He is one of my strongest Pokémon. And I just remembered, how's Rebecca, Anthony? You haven't left her alone once again, have you?" Ash asked with a slight scowl as he gazed at the older man, who was chuckling nervously with a guilty look.

"Ahaha… No of course not Ash. That's all in the past now. As a matter of fact, she travels with me and Primeape to many of our tournaments. Shame you weren't able to meet her; she left the town a few days ago to visit a relative of her Mother's." Anthony said to Ash, who looked a bit disappointed at not getting to meet the brunette he had made friends with so long ago, but nodded nevertheless.

A weak growl came from behind the duo, who was surprised to see that Primeape was up and about, sitting with a disappointed look on his face. He had his eyes pointed downwards, almost as if he was afraid of seeing either of his trainers in the eye.

The two, along with Pikachu, spent a couple of hours trying to cheer up Primeape. Ash also explained to the two about the upcoming Champions League; and how he wanted to take Primeape with him and make him a member of his team once again. Primeape looked shocked, and Anthony said that since Primeape did belong to Ash and it was ultimately his decision to make.

"You did awesome buddy, and even if you didn't win, I will say this now that I am very proud of you. I will be honored if you accompany me on my journey." Ash said as he faced the Rage Monkey Pokémon.

Primeape looked deeply conflicted. On one hand, he wanted to wander around the world with his trainer; whom he liked a lot, while on the other hand, he didn't want to abandon Anthony, the guy who had been his teacher for so long now.

"Go with him Rage." A gruff voice came from his left, causing Primeape to look towards the guy who had spoken, only to come face to face with Anthony.

The muscled man smiled "While I would like it if you stayed for more time with me, I know what you really want Primeape, I am your teacher after all? I think that you will indeed reach your full potential if you travel with a splendid trainer like Ash for a time, and once you return, we both can work towards getting the World Heavyweight championship for ourselves, deal?" Anthony smiled as he held out a fist.

"Anthony…." Ash muttered, an awed look on his face as he looked at the selfless man.

"Pri…." Primeape had tears welling on the corner of his eyes as he fist bumped his teacher. However, the emotions were just too much for the Pokémon, who hugged the man, tears flowing freely from his eyes.

Anthony chuckled as he patted Primeape's back "Now now Rage, you don't wanna ruin your reputation before your trainer now, do you?" Ash simply smiled as he too wiped a lone tear that came to his eye due to the emotional goodbye between Primeape and Anthony.

Truly, few bonds were stronger than the ones between a Master and his student.

Even if they resulted in thousands of crappy Kung fu movies.

**XXX**

**OMAKE**

**Pokedex Chronicles: Part I**

**#132: DITTO**

**Red/Blue**\- Capable of copying an enemy's genetic code to instantly transform itself into a duplicate of the enemy.

**Diamond**\- It has the ability to reconstitute its entire cellular structure to transform into whatever it sees.

**HeartGold**\- It can transform into anything. When it sleeps, it changes into a stone to avoid being attacked.

**X**\- It has the ability to reconstitute its entire cellular structure to transform into whatever it sees.

Ditto is everything. Not only can it transform into any Pokémon - it can transform into anything it wants, organic and non-organic things alike. Any Pokémon on this list? Ditto can become them. It can become whatever kind of Pokémon they're weak against. Read the Pokedex descriptions carefully, 'It can modify its cellular structure to transform into whatever it sees', and since it can transform into a Rock, we can be pretty sure that anything does mean everything. It can become - theoretically - anything that exists. The moon, the Earth, Arceus, etc.

An organized army of Dittoes could take over the planet if they wanted. Sure, many other Pokémon have the brute strength necessary to do so. But the difference is that Dittoes could do it without anyone ever noticing. Even the people talking about conspiracies won't be able to do anything. Blood Tests? Sure, go on ahead, Dittos modify their cellular structure. The only way to catch them is to make them laugh, and even that might be debatable.

It could replace your family and your friends without you realizing it. Eventually, a Ditto could replace **you**. They could replace us _all_.

Unless...**they already have.**

**XXX**

**A/N: Ditto Dit Dit**\- Ehm…. I mean, uh, nice chapter guys! And pretty long too, eh!

A slight AshxMisty if you squinted, really **really** hard. But no serious development there.

Also, Primeape has rejoined Ash and co, what adventures are to follow the Pig Monkey, and how will his inclusion be taken at the Oak Corral? Next Chapter, Ash finally reaches his first Frontier Facility, will he win? Mega Evolutions are closer than ever, does Ash have a chance against this new Hax? Or will he employ it himself?

Get the answer to all this, and more, by Reviewing, so that I can get the next chapter out of my ass as soon as possible!

Also, I will admit it now that the Pokedex was not completely my idea, as a matter of fact I read it a few years ago, but wasn't able to locate the site once again, so wrote it in my style.

Tango Out.

**P.S: Look out for any changes among your loved ones; they might not be what they seem be, after all You-Know-Who can change into anything….**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I do not own Pokémon; I do own a Yamaha R15, which I am completely willing to trade. I believe it's a fair trade; seeing as even cycles cost 1 million dollars in the Pokémon world….**

Now, a large number of(two) people have been asking me through PMs about clearing up just how much time has passed since Ash first left Pallet, and when is the Champions League starting. I'm pretty sure I owe it to all of you since I have produced such a long ass buildup, which unfortunately will continue for a teeny little while. **Keep in mind that I will use months and dates from 2013 to show the start of Ash's journey. While, the Champions League will be starting in 2014. This will make up the timeline of my story.**

So here we go-

April 10th, 2013- Ash wins the Vertress Conference, returns home two days later.

May 12th, 2013- Ash leaves Pallet Town for Mt. Silver.

July 10th, 2013- Leaving Mt. Silver.

July-16th, 2013- Current Chapter start.

.

.

July 20th, 2014 - Last date of arrival to the site of the Pokémon Champions League. **Entry later on forbidden**.

August 1st- Start of the actual Pokémon Champions League.

Also, I have changed Chapter 2 to show that about 24 previous Champions Leagues have taken place. I felt that two was way too low of a number for a competition to be considered prestigious, and hence I took the step necessary. Also, I added a bit of detail to explain the earlier Champions Leagues. I know that the world wasn't probably as united as now at that time, and that will also be further explained in a future chapter.

Enjoy the chapter!

UPDATE: For those of you wondering why you were notified of an update, the reason is that I have added additional content to this chapter. Notably an Omake and part of a dream Ash has.

**XXX**

_Sinnoh…_

Waves collided with loud splashing sounds on the beach, leaving behind foamy residues that disappeared almost immediately afterwards. The sky was bathed in red as the sun prepared to go down, with the beautiful stars already being visible a little. The beach itself was quite beautiful and well maintained, with a lot of people strolling about aimlessly; merely enjoying the sights. The street lights had come alive, along with their shop counter parts. People went about in casual beach clothes and flip flops, visiting the food and gift shops after spending an exhausting and fun filled day at the beach. Pokémon of various species dilly dallied about on the area around, preparing for sleep that was sure to come. A dozen Krabby's followed their Kingler mother underground, a single Crawdawnt brooded over a rock while multiple Corphish stood unblinking near their leader. Starly and Staravia nestled into multiple trees, with the flock leader Staraptor hidden expertly into the canopies. Murkrow and Honchcrow similarly occupied other trees, with Pidgeys and Pidgeottos squeezing them in between. Multiple plants were lined on the sandy floor, causing many people to do a double take. One would notice after a second glance that these were in fact Oddishes, a Pokémon native to Kanto but not uncommon everywhere else.

The scene of the beach was almost serene, a one which many artists would love to draw up.

But in all this, a particular area of the beach was anything but peaceful. Two huge forms collided on the sandy surface, both of them glaring at each other with a look of competitiveness, and while a bit out of breath; comparatively free of harm.

The first one, a Pokémon with a long scaly body and a large hood with an almost hypnotic design; an Arbok, looked as if it had been violently hit by Tsunamic waves one too many times, and wheezed like its lungs were turned into water balloons, while the other, a Pokémon with an outer shell that covered its entire body bar heads hands and legs, with two distinctive cannons present on either side of its head; a Blastoise, looked as if it was about to pass out at any moment. Much of its visible body was covered with welts, burns, and dark patches which were obviously caused by poisoning.

"Just one more attack Blastoise, finish Arbok with Hydro Pump!" A blue haired teenage girl shouted as she waved her hand about. Blastoise immediately followed her trainer's orders, and with a distinctive click, the cannons readied themselves for the two concentrated jets of water that emerged from within the Water Type Kanto starter.

Blastoise grunted as she had to put much more effort in conjuring the water and then forcing it out with as much force as she was able to muster; damn the poison. Nevertheless, in a matter of seconds, the two jets sped towards Arbok, who wobbled wearily as he waited for his own trainers orders.

Ash smirked as he heard his bluenette friends move "Too bad Dawn, this is Arbok's playground. Arbok, dig into the ground, emerge and then attack Blastoise with a Thunder Fang, aim for the leg!" Ash only hoped that Arbok heard the last two commands he gave, since he dug into the ground immediately after hearing the order; lest he be taken out by the Hydro Pump. The attack itself hit the place where Arbok was with a loud splash and bang, and with a crater that large, Ash knew that this could have been match over for them.

Dawn, who had just begun smiling at her apparent victory, gasped in disbelief as the Cobra Pokémon blasted from behind Blastoise, sending a lot of sand in the air, and wrapped itself around the shell Pokémon with blinding quickness. Dawn was just about to order Blastoise to use Withdraw when Arbok's fangs whirred with Electricity. Blastoise cried out in extreme pain as Arbok dug his fangs into her leg. The electricity travelled its way onto the water Pokémon's body from her leg to the interior body which she hid in her shell.

While a normal Thunder Fang wouldn't have been so effective, with Blastoise's Water Typing the attack just became much more dangerous. Not to mention she wasn't able to use withdraw. An agonizing screech of pain emerged from Blastoise as she collapsed onto the ground, with Arbok gradually reducing the electric flux as uncoiling himself from Blastoise's body.

"Quilava lava!" Quilava raised his hands to indicate Ash's victory, who whooped in joy. Dawn merely sighed in defeat as she returned her Pokémon to her Pokeball for temporary rest. Arbok looked mightily pleased with himself as he coughed out a large amount of water that he had ingested mistakenly.

"Great job Arbok. We might have to work on making your attacks more versatile, but that isn't something that can't be achieved! And I must say, the Thunder Fang was almost as good as what would be expected from an Electric Type isn't that right Pikachu?" Ash said as he jerked his thumb towards the little yellow Pokémon perched on his shoulder. Pikachu grinned as he gave a thumbs up to Arbok, who looked a little bit embarrassed at the praise, but nodded his head gratefully.

"And you were great too Dawn." Ash said as he faced his friend. "Last time I had seen, Blastoise was still a Wartortle, so May couldn't have evolved her much earlier. And even though he isn't your own Pokémon, you did a really great job." Ash said with a smile.

Dawn rubbed the back of her sheepishly "Well….. I do have Piplup! So it isn't like I don't have experience with Water Type Pokémon, but your Arbok was simply a level higher Ash. I can see that you have trained very hard." Dawn and May had exchanged their Pachirisu and Blastoise respectively for the month of July. It was only by coincidence that Ash came to Sinnoh during that time.

Dawn didn't say it out loud, but she was pretty embarrassed by her loss to Ash's Arbok, which she considered the 'inferior' Pokémon to a fully evolved Kanto starter like Blastoise. Who could blame her for thinking so after seeing Jessie's Seviper being so soundly thrashed for years?

"Don't sell yourself short Dawn." Ash stated seriously, seeing Dawn's sad expression "You are a great coordinator, and I have no doubt that you could be a great Trainer too. If Blastoise was your own Pokémon, and you had much more time to devise strategies with him, I don't think Arbok would have won by that margin, it would have been a much closer match." Every word was spoken with nothing but honesty from Ash, who didn't like ANY of his friends thinking any low

Dawn huffed as she sat on the sandy surface, facing the sea "But I and Quilava also lost against your own Quilava Ash! What does that say about my abilities?" She said with a bit of frustration. "I don't think I have a chance to even get to round two in the Champions League…" She stated glumly. While Dawn wasn't one to down play her own abilities, with the nature and competitiveness of the Champions League, it wasn't hard to see where her attitude was coming from.

As Dawn sat on the sandy floor, her already short skirt rode up a few inches. While it would have many a teenage boy blush and stare creepily, we must not forget that it was **Ash Ketchum** we are dealing with here. The boy who thought boobies were a kind of food only adults could get when he was 11.

Ash sat besides Dawn, and surprising her, gently took hold of her hands (not even looking towards Dawn's slightly exposed thighs) "You might not Dawn, but that isn't the thing which is important, ya know. You're a great coordinator, and you reached the finals on the year you started training! Do you know just how awesome that was, Dawn? I made it to the Top 16, and even that was due to pure luck!" Ash said in one spontaneous breath.

Taking a slight contemplative posture next, he added. "Quite frankly, I think I sucked." Dawn blushed a bit at the praise, but made no movement to say anything. She did allow herself to laugh a little at Ash's comment.

Pikachu nodded in the background at the 'luck' part. Arbok simply coiled on the sandy floor to look around passively. The Cobra Pokémon was a rather quiet and lone wolf type of Pokémon, so a quiet area like a beach was heaven to him.

"You, on the other hand, showed a performance that proved your own talent. Togekiss isn't even your Pokémon, and you managed to handle and make bonds with it within your rookie year! That is amazing Dawn. Charizard used to disobey me when he first evolved because I wasn't competent enough, and while you also had that problem with Mamoswine, you managed to clear it up within a few months." Dawn smiled slightly at the support from Ash. She didn't say it out loud that whatever she had learnt and achieved during their Sinnoh journey was due to Ash and Brock's guidance and support.

"What I am saying is, Dawn." Ash took a deep breath "Is that a single victory or loss doesn't exactly determine your true abilities. I lost to Paul so many times, but I then defeated him at the moment it was the most important." This caused Dawn to smile, Paul's defeat to Ash was a definite marked moment in her life. One she had been rooting for much time due to the harsh way Paul treated his Pokémon.

"Just train hard and believe in your Pokémon Dawn, just like you have done till now. And even if you lose, no need to worry coz I'll **always** be there to cheer you up!" Ash said with a laugh while Dawn lightly punched him for stealing her catch phrase. Still, it didn't miss Dawn's attention how Ash said the word always with much conviction. The thought made her feel happy, although she knew that the emotion wasn't exclusive for her. Once someone made Ash Ketchum their friend, they could always count on him to be to hell and back if needed.

"Thanks for saying that Ash." Dawn smiled as she turned to look at Ash, who was looking like he always did, confident and…. '_handsome', _Dawn thought to herself. Looking into Ash's brown eyes, which always looked like they were brimming with barely contained emotion, she took a second to 'see' her friend in a light she hadn't exactly seen in before. While she and Ash had seen each other in bathing suits a few times before, both of them had childish bodies with none of the adult features. Now, however, Dawn herself had filled out quite a lot from before. Particularly her chest area. Her height had also grown a lot and she was just a little bit shorter than her mother.

For his part, Ash's changes were the most radical ones. While before he was equal in height to Dawn, now he was noticeably taller than her. Also, much of his baby fat had been lost, resulting into a face that looked much more like a seasoned traveler than a child, however it still retained some of the features that distinguished him from a true adult. While before Ash's body had none of the extra muscle, now with his regular Dexter enhanced training he had began putting on some muscle too. Of course he didn't get a six pack immediately, but for what it was worth, he was pretty well built for a boy his age who didn't make exercises a priority.

Dawn was feeling a strange warmness in her cheeks as she stared at Ash, who was smiling back at her in an innocent manner. Finally taking note of his hand over hers, which was warm, Dawn felt her cheeks heat up even more than before.

So much so that Ash's smile was replaced by a look of confusion. "Dawn, are you all right?" Ash asked in concern, startling Dawn, who was looking at his face with a flushed look for quite some time.

"W-What?"

Ash's concern grew even more at this answer "I asked whether you are all right Dawn, your face is all read and you're breathing a bit faster. Also, just now you didn't hear what I said even though I was sitting a few inches from you. So, are you all right?"

Dawn smiled nervously "Y-Yeah! Of course I am f-fine Ash, no need to worry!" However, just as Dawn said that, it became clear to her that her choice of words wasn't exactly correct, nor relaxing, to Ash.

"You know that's when I worry the most." Ash said with a slightly chiding look "I serious here Dawn, are you sure you don't a fever or something?" Ash said as he put his hand on Dawn's temple, nearly causing her to black out from the contact. Dawn was blushing so brightly that it was almost as if she had colored her face with sparkling red paint…

Luckily for her, a certain someone decided to make his presence know at that exact moment.

"Wow…. I think a couple of my teeth rotted from the sweetness displayed."

A monotone voice came from behind Dawn and Ash, who turned around to see just who it was who interrupted him.

Both of them were surprised to see the face of Ash's foremost rival, "PAUL!? What are you doing here!?" Ash asked incredulously as he stood up, taking care to pull Dawn up since he was still holding her hands.

"Hn. I was just passing by here after training with my Pokémon when I caught sight of you two, thought I'd come down and meet the Unova League Winner." Paul said with a smirk.

Ash looked surprised at that "Really?" The old Paul would have preferred doing a moon walk in a pink tutu rather than come down to willingly meet him.

"Really." Paul repeated dryly "And I can see that Barry and Kenny's information was correct as well." Paul said as he pointedly looked at Ash and Dawn's connected hands. Dawn blushed brightly at that and hurriedly removed her hand from Ash's, who looked a bit confused at the sudden action.

"What information?" Ash asked innocently.

Paul smirked "Why of course, the information that you and Dawn are-" "OK THAT'S IT!" Paul wasn't able to continue as Dawn grabbed his hand and dragged him off away from Ash.

"Hey!" Paul shouted in outrage as the bluenette took him a few feet away.

"What's the big idea Paul?" Dawn asked angrily as she crossed her arms, glaring at Paul, who was looking a bit confused.

"What's what troublesome? Why the heck did you drag me here?" Paul muttered as he rubbed his sore hand, god that girl had a hard grip!

"What were going to say just now!?"

"That you and Ash are an item? What else?" Paul asked in confusion.

Dawn grit her teeth in anger "Me and Ash are not. An. Item! Have Kenny and Barry gone completely bonkers!? Do you know how embarrassing it would have been if you had said it in front of Ash?"

"Hn. As if I care. Anyway, if it makes you shut up, I will not say so again, happy?" Paul asked sarcastically.

"Very." Dawn said through clenched teeth. She decided, Kenny and Barry would have to pay.

The duo then made their way back to Ash and Pikachu, Arbok had been recalled by then by Ash to recover in his Pokeball.

"Hey guys!" Ash waved to the duo, indicating them to come near.

Dawn smiled and moved forward quickly, while Paul grumbled and moved normally.

"So….. what were you two talking about?" Ash asked curiously as Pikachu looked on.

Dawn waved him off "Nothing special Ash, I just had to ash Paul about something." Paul grunted in confirmation.

Paul decided to get to the topic that he had first intended to talk about when he spotted Ash "So Ash, I believe you must be here training for the Champions League?"

Ash perked up at the topic "Not quite, Paul. While I am here for training, I am also here to take part in the Sinnoh Battle Frontier." He said, as Paul's eyes widened.

"Sinnoh Battle Frontier? Aren't all gyms closed down?" Paul asked in a bit of confusion.

"No, the gyms are closed, but the Kanto and Sinnoh Battle Frontiers have remained open since they don't get too many challengers any way." Ash explained to Paul, who immediately decided to visit Kanto. Brandon was waiting.

"What about you Paul? Did you take part in any of the leagues this year?"

"Sinnoh. Lost in the finals." Paul said quietly, not wanting to revisit the painful memory.

Ash cringed at that, to loose in the finals must have been hard.

"But I see that you had a pretty easy victory in the Unova League Ash." Paul commented.

"Easy?"

"Yes of course. None of your challengers were half as qualified as you, except for that guy you faced in the finals." "Virgil" "Yes, him. The fat boy was just mediocre, and the guy you faced in the semi finals was a pure idiot. He could have defeated you if he had six Pokémon, consider yourself lucky." Paul said.

Ash bristled angrily at the derisive comments towards his friends, but calmed down a bit since he knew that it was just Paul's way of speaking, blunt and to the point.

Dawn, however, saw a moment of little revenge "Why Paul, you seem to know an awful lot about Ash's matches, even though you had your own at those times?" Dawn said slyly.

Paul however, didn't rise up to the bait, much to Dawn's depression "The answer is quite simple Dane, I like to scout my opposition and since the Pokémon League Website has full videos uploaded, I took advantage of that." Paul said, ignoring Dawn's remark that her name wasn't Dane.

"Hold on." Ash interjected "You mean to say that the website has full battle videos of every trainer? Even the Elite Four?"

"Yes, even the Elite Four. But only of the official battles they have with an audience. The Elite Four Challenge takers matches are still behind closed door and without coverage." Dawn explained.

The trio mulled over the information they had shared for a little while, before Ash spoke up. "Say Paul… have you any Pokeballs on hand?"

Paul grinned "I thought you'd never ask."

Dawn sighed with a smile "Here they go again…"

"Torterra!" "Krookodile!"

"LET'S GO!"

**XXX**

_Where are you Master….._

"_Who….. Who is this….?"_

_I am waiting Master….._

"_Who are you….?"_

_My Aura calls your Ash….._

"_How do you know my name….?"_

_Find me…..Ash….Find me…._

"_Who are you!? How can you talk to me!? Answer me!"_

_Find me… or…. I will find you….._

"_Where…Where do I find you….!?"_

_The Time is ticking Master….._

"_Tell me!"_

_Tick Tock_

"_Please!"_

_Tick Tock._

"_Answer me…..!_

_Tick Tock._

"_Answer…."_

_**TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCKTICKTOCKTICKTOCKTICKTOCK-**_

Ash woke up, gasping for breath, and clutching his chest. His heart was drumming against his chest with such speeds that it was almost as if he had run a marathon. A strange burning sensation took place in his stomach, causing the boy to wince as he rubbed the spot.

'What the hell was that?" Ash thought to himself as he clutched his hair. This was the fifth time such a dream was coming to him. The Raven haired boy could make no heads nor tails of the blurry and vague scenes he could see in his dreams.

Shots of a small figure, running from fire, a massive beast intent on destroying, and finally, happiness at having suceeded.

But this time, another clue had been left to Ash during his dream. A concept with which Ash was more than familiar with, but was still a massive unknown.

"What did it mean that its Aura was calling mine? I haven't even used those powers in like... a long time. And how did it know about it in the first place?" Aura, the power which flowed in every living being and something he had used a couple of times in his life. The power which was supposedly lost to mankind with time. But somehow was accecible to him. Sir Aron's Lucario had even compared his Aura to his master's.

Taking a gulp of water, and relishing the coolness of it against his burning body, Ash laid back down on the sleeping bag. The situation was very close to becoming a problem for him. Not only were these dreams extremely cryptic, and thus preventing him for actually finding the one who was calling him out, they also left him exhausted and sleepless. He had to do something.

With that thought in mind, Ash closed his eyes, never noticing that they were shining a bright blue.

**XXX**

_A few days later…_

"Here it is Pikachu." Ash announced as they neared a huge structure. Pikachu looked up in a bit of awe at it. "The first Frontier Facility of Sinnoh!" The 'facility' was a large regal looking structure. The building itself was two stories high, but the width of it almost screamed the fact that a Battlefield was built inside it. Around the facility was a large field, in which many Pokémon freely roamed and played around. Ash was impressed to see quite a few extremely strong fully evolved Pokémon like Rhyperior and Electivire battling it out in the open grounds.

"Hold it right there!" A voice called out, causing Ash and Pikachu to turn around quickly. A woman was the source of the voice. She had purple hair, and was wearing red rimmed sunglasses. The rest of her attire comprised of a red colored overcoat and similarly colored cargo pants. Finishing the look were high topped boots.

The woman moved towards Ash with a stern look on her face, making him gulp a little.

"What are you doing here, young man?" The woman asked Ash sternly.

"I am here for the Battle Frontier Challenge." Ash explained. Pikachu nodded in support from his shoulder.

The woman's expression immediately brightened at that "Oh yeah! You must be the kid Scott was mentioning about! Ash, is it?"

Ash smiled "That's my name! But how did Scott tell you about me, I haven't even talked to him in like…forever." Ash asked quizzically. True, the last time he met Scott was when he had won the Kanto Battle Frontier.

The woman giggled "The first winner of the Kanto Battle Frontier in so many days is big news Ash, Scott told us to be prepared since you would soon be coming to conquer our Frontier too. And as for how he informed us about your arrival, well it's anybody's guess." She shrugged. Scott was a notoriously cryptic guy, quite irritating as well…

Ash looked up in surprise "Hole up…. You said 'Scott warned **us'**…. Are you….?"

"Yep, yours truly, Hall Matron Argenta!" The woman now identified as Argenta gave a mock bow as Ash looked at her excitedly.

"Awesome! Let's have our battle right now!" Ash's excitement didn't go unnoticed by Argenta, who chuckled before responding.

"Sure Ash, but first, I must list out to you the rules of our Battle Frontier." She stated seriously as she motioned Ash to follow her into the large building, where the battle ground was located. Ash nodded quietly.

"First of all, we do traditional three on three Pokémon battles, no changing Pokémon in the middle and you cannot continue a Pokémon once it has won. That's the rule of my Frontier Hall. I vehemently disagree with the tactics that allow trainers to change their Pokémon when they get injured or are at a disadvantage. If I win during the first battle, then we both would have to change our Pokémon, if you win the second battle then we continue to the third, but once again after changing Pokémon. If I win once again in the third battle then you are allowed to use your second Pokémon once more. The third battle decides everything." She explained.

Ash was a little taken aback at the orthodox rule of not being able to change Pokémon in between battles, but he soon took as another challenge to overcome, however he still had a few questions "So what if I or you lose both the first two battles? Is the match over then?"

"Good question. If a trainer loses both the first two battles, and wins in the third- yes a third battle will take place, then that trainer will have the task of defeating both the opponents other two Pokémon with just one. In short, it will become a three on one scenario for that trainer."Argenta said.

Ash whistled at that, those kind of odds were supremely tough to overcome; especially against someone in charge of a Frontier Facility. "So it's basically game over once you lose two of your Pokémon huh."

Argenta grinned "That's right kid! So I hope you have come prepared for the challenge; you're the first one to challenge the Sinnoh Battle Frontier this year, you know that?"

Humming at that information, Ash continued walking with Argenta towards what seemed to be a official battle area. As he carried six Pokeballs plus Pikachu with him, Ash mentally debated on the Pokémon he was to start out with, in case he had to choose first. The sixteen year old also scouted the various areas they passed- such as the training area where many young boys and girls were battling. From what Ash was able to observe, most of the Pokémon were low level and seemed to be new to the battling front.

"Say Argenta, do you also run a training area in here?" Ash asked to the middle aged woman walking alongside him, who gave with a side glance as she answered.

"Yes we do. Too many kids go out into the open world with next to no experience and end up either hurting themselves, or their Pokémon."

Ash and Pikachu sweatdropped as they remembered their very first day…..

"Most of them, the rookies I meet, don't even know how to forage for food or light a fire safely! Can you believe that?" Argenta scoffed as she shook her head in disbelief.

A proverbial raincloud had begun forming over the duo as they remembered that if not for Brock and Cilan, they wouldn't have survived as easily in the wild….

"And that's not all, sometimes their own Pokémon abandon them after getting fully evolved. They can't really be blamed you know, who would want to be under an incompetent trainer?"

A certain Pokeball on Ash's belt twitched…..

And thus Argenta continued listing the faults that debuting trainers often contained within themselves, unknown of the effect it was taking on her guest.

"And did you know that- Wait a minute." Argenta blinked as she looked to her side, only to find that Ash wasn't there! "Ash?" The Hall Matron looked around confusedly, finally landing her eyes on Ash and Pikachu, who were both sulking over on a nearby corner.

"I was so worthless…" Ash whispered as he made a circle on the ground with his finger, with Pikachu slumped on his back. Dark shadows had fallen upon the duos faces, amplifying the gloom and doom even more. Argenta sweatdropped at seeing the dismayed expression on their faces.

On a private note, she wondered whether the kid would even provide her a challenge, he certainly didn't seem to be the type. Most Frontier challengers were in their mid twenties after all.

But if he had won the Kanto Battle Frontier, even if barely, then he was worth testing out.

**XXX**

_Battlefield, Frontier Hall_

"I hope you are well prepared Ash, the Sinnoh Frontier Brains are a step above our Kanto counterparts, so you won't have it as easy here!" Argenta said, a bit cockily, as she faced down her opponent, who stood at the other end of the rocky battlefield.

Ash merely bit his teeth at that, not choosing to say anything. Whether the Sinnoh Frontier Brains were better than the Kanto ones he would only be able to decide after having a battle; but he did know that the Kanto Frontier Brains were some of the toughest trainers he had ever faced in his six year journey. Anyone at that level or above was nothing to scoff at.

The Referee raised both of his flags, one green and one red. "This battle is one of three between Hall Matron Argenta and Ash Ketchum from Kanto. The two Pokémon will battle until the other faints. There will be no substitutions. Are the trainers ready?" The Referee asked professionally as he looked at the two trainers.

"Yup!" Argenta nodded, a Pokeball already in her hand.

"You bet!" Ash grinned as he enlarged a Pokeball.

The Referee nodded at their confirmations, before looking at his watch. "Ready?..."

"**BEGIN!"**

"Empoleon, ready for battle!" "Shellgon, I choose you!"

Both the competitors released their powerful Pokémon, who appeared onto the battlefield with enthusiastic cries of their names glaring at each other. Argenta's chosen Pokémon was the fully evolved form of the Sinnoh Water type starter Piplup, Empoleon. Empoleon had a large, intimidating built. Its body was predominantly black in color, with the torso white and some parts blue. The most distinguishing feature was the presence of a crown like structure on its head. Completing the regal look were multiple golden colored parts on its back, and golden claws on its flippers.

Ash's chosen Pokémon was none other than the middle finger raising Bagon; only, it had evolved. Ash had found out that Bagon, despite his thinking otherwise, was in fact a Pokémon who was experienced and close to evolving to its second state. While Bagon had been a little disobedient (and much disrespectful) in the beginning, the Dragon Type had somewhat mellowed out during their training. But it was safe to say that it was still a work in progress for Ash.

"An Empoleon. Gotta be careful now Shellgon, don't lose focus for even a second." Ash warned his Pokémon as he warily looked at Argenta's Empoleon. While it was true that he had a type advantage over his opponent, he wasn't about to make a mistake in underestimating his opponent. He didn't particularly have happy memories about facing the Pokémon. Barry's Empoleon had been super strong against Paul, not to mention the few times he had battled with the blonde haired boy.

And he didn't even want to think about his loss to Kenny. That had been beyond embarrassing.

Shellgon took his trainer's words to his heart as his expression became even more focused. The opponent Empoleon maintained his stone cold expression, something which always developed onto the Pokémon belonging to people like Gym Leaders, Frontier Brains and even the Elite Four. This was mainly due to the sheer number of battles they had to face during their years spent as authority figures; and not all of them were even remotely exciting.

But today was about to be another matter. Both the Pokémon were well trained and ready to face their opponents, it was sure to be a close battle.

"I'll let you have the first move Ash!" Argenta called out to her opponent, who smiled in gratitude.

"You heard her Shellgon, charge forwards and use Crunch!" Ash yelled to the shell covered Pokémon, who grunted in affirmation as he started speeding forward at an adequate speed. Shellgon's jaws covered in a dark aura, and shone with malicious energy. Just as Shellgon reached the taller Pokémon, Argenta made her move.

"Empoleon, dodge it and then use Water Gun!" Argenta called out to her Pokémon. Empoleon showed impressive speed as he dodged the attack effortlessly. With dust kicking up from the speedy movements of the two Pokémon, Empoleon launched a close range Water Gun at the Shell Pokémon. The torrent of water hit Shellgon on its back, but did nothing except making the Pokémon cringe a bit.

"Shellgon's defenses are too strong for such attacks Argenta! Now Shellgon, jump and use Crunch." Ash ordered immediately as Shellgon jumped up using its powerful leg muscles. Empoleon ducked and weaved out of the way, but Shellgon kept on coming with Crunch attacks. The power of the attack became cleared to Argenta as Shellgon easily smashed up a small boulder using its attack.

"You can't let it hit Empoleon, dodge and use Mist." Argenta said. Empoleon made a last dodge and retreated a few feet behind the ready to attack Shellgon. Not giving it time to do so, Empoleon opened its beak and released a thick fog which surrounded the whole battlefield, blocking the view from the two trainers.

"Now Empoleon, use Bubble Beam!" Argenta said as she waved her hand around. Immediately afterwards multiple explosions came through the fog as the explosive bubbles hit Shellgon, and despite his thick and almost impenetrable armor, Shellgon was getting hurt.

"Shellgon, hang in there!" Ash desperately called out to his Pokémon as he racked his brains for any strategy to overcome the sudden problem.

Argenta smirked "I'm afraid its game over for you now Ash, Empoleon, use Hydro Pump and Bubble Beam continuously. Keep up the Mist!" Ash grit his teeth as Shellgon's first pain filled cry came from within the mist, showing that Empoleon had either used a very strong attack or it had started attacking Shellgon's weak spot- its underbelly.

The mist itself burned Shellgon. The Ice type move being the Kryptonite to his Dragon Type. While the fog would have simply provided occulatory problems to most Pokémon, and a minor freeze, to Shellgon it was like Frostbite.

'_I'm really disappointed….. __**This **__is the guy who took down the Kanto Battle Frontier? Hmph…. I should have known better than to give importance to rumors.'_ Argenta thought, a bit disappointed by the way the battle was going.

But Ash had no ideas about letting it end this early- or in his loss. "Shellgon, go underground." Ash wanted to hit himself on the back for not thinking of such a easy way out immediately.

Shellgon, hearing his trainer's orders, immediately dodged an incoming wave of bubble and ferociously dug underground. Leaving a hole in his wake, Shellgon saved himself from the powerful Water Type attacks.

While Ash couldn't see Argenta, he sure hoped that the smug expression on her face would have damped a lot "Shellgon, track Empoleon and use Zen Headbutt!"Ash said.

"Damn. Empoleon, stay on your toes, don't let Shellgon get you!" Argenta ordered hurriedly as she knew that if the Zen Headbutt hit at full power, Empoleon would be highly injured.

Empoleon, hearing his trainers orders, kept his eyes glued around himself. Noticing a slight bulge in the ground, Empoleon jumped backwards, sure of his safety. But it was just then that a force comparable to a freight train hit Empoleon on the back with a sickening thud. The Penguin Pokémon's leathery hide rippled and its eyes bulged as Shellgon drove its skull into Empoleon's back. Spit mixed with blood flew from the Penguin's mouth as the X shaped hammer on Shellgon's cranium bulged; covering over Empoleon's body, and then exploded as Empoleon was launched off his feet.

Argenta gasped as Empoleon's pain filled cry filled the air. The mist dissipated as Empoleon lost the concentration needed to maintain it. Ash grinned in relief as a minutely damaged Shellgon appeared confidently standing, while Empoleon had pain filled over its face as it struggled to get on even one knee. Empoleon's face had contorted with the extreme pain that was emerging from its back, and the sudden manner in which it had happened so.

Just as Ash had thought, Shellgon had some severe ice burns on its exposed body, mostly being protected by the heavy armor on its back.

"Empoleon, are you all right?" Argenta asked with concern to her Pokémon, who weakly- but resolutely, nodded back. '_Shellgon isn't really stronger than Empoleon…no. But Shellgon hit Empoleon on its back, and that's why he has the clear advantage now! Empoleon won't be able to move at full speed or use his full power due to the damage suffered to his spinal cord. I shouldn't have let my guard down…'_ Argenta thought to herself in anger as Empoleon writhed in pain.

Ash however, didn't want to let his opponent rest too much. "Shellgon finish it, use Dragon Breath!" Shellgon immediately charged up a glowing sphere in his mouth, the draconian energy flowing through his body, the sphere grew in size until Shellgon closed his jaws, seemingly dissipating the attack, but then opened his jaws once again to release the energy in a blinding flash towards his wincing opponent. A few small rocks beneath Shellgon shattered due to the sheer energy concentrated under the small Pokémon!

"Alright! That's it Shellgon!" Ash cheered his Pokémon as the Dragon Breath speedily reached Empoleon. Empoleon looked wide eyed at the attack which was coming at him, showing no signs of stopping. Ash grinned, the raven haired trainer was sure of his victory now!

But Argenta wasn't a Frontier Brain for nothing.

"Empoleon cut it with Ice Beam!" Just as Argenta's command left her mouth, Empoleon charged up a mini sphere in its mouth. In a micro second, the attack was launched towards the incoming Dragon Rage. Ash gaped as the attack cut- yes, literally cut through the Dragon Rage. The Ice beam moved towards a shell shocked Shellgon like electricity, leaving much of the ground it passed covered in icicles and ice shards.

Just as the attack were mere feet in front of Shellgon, the shell Pokémon came to his senses, jumping back. However, he wasn't nearly as fast as to escape the multiple thunder like shots that emerged hitherto from the Ice Beam. The attack nicked its face barely, leaving a frost bite, and encased its upper shell. Shellgon's lower body, already covered in freeze burns from the Mist, miraculously escaped undamaged from the high level attack.

The greenish mist was cut in the middle, with the two parts missing Empoleon by inches and kicking up large amount of dust from the places where they hit, showing the sheer devastating power of the attack.

Ash grimaced. This wasn't good. He knew of the sheer devastating power Ice type moves had against Dragon Types, and thus knew that Shellgon's advantage had just been dissipated….

Easily.

Momentary relief crossed Argenta's face as she looked at the grunting Shellgon. While Empoleon had suffered massive damage due to the surprise attack early on, the Ice type moves had more than made up since Shellgon had massive damages. With its already slow speed, the frost bite just played into their advantage. And for even more powerful Dragon Type attacks, there was always Ice Beam.

"As you can see." Argenta drawled out as Empoleon stood up, panting and grimacing "We aren't nearly taken out Ash." She said with smirk.

Ash merely looked on in concentration, thinking of ways to defeat Empoleon. While he had suspected Ice Beam, he had blearily hoped that he could finish the match before Empoleon even had a chance. Unfortunately for him, going for a flashy attack like Dragon Breath had given Empoleon ample time to counter with him own.

"Empoleon, don't let Shellgon recover use Ice beam once again!" Argenta commanded. Empoleon immediately started launching Ice beam after Ice beam towards a panicking Shellgon.

"Shell!" Shellgon whimpered as it barely dodged another Ice Beam.

"Don't worry Shellgon, go underground the Ice beam can't hit you there!" Ash said, hoping to use his previous strategy.

"Gonn!" Shellgon immediately used its digging skills to go underground, making the Ice type attack meaningless.

"Hiding now, Ash?" Argenta mocked lightly, casing Ash's lips to purse. True, he didn't want Shellgon to hide and use underhand strategies, but Empoleon was much more experienced and battle worn, he even looked to be recovering from the spine jarring attack from before.

"Unfortunately for you, we won't let it happen a second time! Empoleon, flood the hole with Hydro Pump!"

Ash cursed.

Empoleon hobbled over to the hole Shellgon had created, and with unholy glee launched a Hydro Pump attack inside it, flooding the hole with enough water to either drown or draw out Shellgon.

Ash merely watched on with continuing distress as he watched Empoleon flood the hole. '_Shit. At this rate Shellgon will be out and ripe for Empoleon's picking in no time! Since he is underground he can't even counter with any of his attacks….however…" _Ash's eyes widened for a second as he thought of a strategy. While he would have never used it in a normal circumstance, dire situations called for dire measures.

"Shellgon, use the flow of the Hydro Pump and blast out of the ground!" Ash yelled, hoping that Shellgon could hear him.

'_What is this boy thinking…?'_ Argenta narrowed her eyes as she heard her opponent's call. Nevertheless, she knew that her plan was flawless and the Hydro Pump would do the job. Shellgon couldn't breathe underground, so amplifying this with a shit load of water would either cause the Dragon Type to be trapped underground and faint, or she could just take him out with an Ice Beam after he surfaces.

Underneath the ground, Shellgon was sweating wildly as it tried to navigate its way through the ground, holding his breath and using all of his digging capabilities. But the goddamned water kept following him! Shellgon grunted as he had to cut across from a particularly large rock to keep to the softer mud.

*SPLASH*

Giving a spare glance over its shell, Shellgon noticed the water rapidly cutting the distance with much speed. It was as if a dam had broken free, and Shellgon was a mere ant trying to escape from it. The water made a mini earthquake as it crashed into the walls of the underground caves the Dragon type was rapidly creating. Shellgon was exhausted and burning from the Ice Beam he had suffered before. Not to mention the constant digging and rushing forward.

Just as the Dragon type was about to give in to sheer exhaustion, its sensitive ears caught his trainer's words, even if there was a layer of mud and water separating them. Mentally debating for a second, Shellgon gave a sigh as he changed the angle of his movement, which was now upwards. '_What the heck.' _Shellgon thought '_I don't have a way out anyway, if the idiot thinks this could work…'_

And with that thought in mind, just as Shellgon was about to burst through the ground, it reduced its speed, but didn't completely stop. The end result being that the water, which was still being supplied by a rather tired Empoleon, hit Shellgon on his behind, hard. Wincing a bit in pain, Shellgon took advantage of the huge gain in speed and momentum, and burst through the ground like an Excadrill. Dust, rocks and muddy water exploded from the place as Shellgon reached twenty ft. into the air, taking relish in the momentary feeling of what flying entailed.

Things almost went on slow motion from there on, Argenta gaped openly, Empoleon stopped the Hydro Pump, and Ash grinned at having his idea prove faithful. Shellgon momentarily closed its eyes to feel the fresh air present above, before snapping them open just as the order came from his trainer.

"Shellgon, remember our strategy! FLAMETHROWER!" Ash yelled to his Pokémon, who in a matter of seconds, took a huge breath, drew upon the energy present in his body, and let loose an absolute raging inferno towards Empoleon.

The fire growled as it rapidly approached Empoleon, who hastily launched a Hydro Pump to counter the attack. Neither Pokémon gave in, Shellgon keeping the fire going, and Empoleon supplying even more water to his weaker than usual Hydro Pump.

'_Even if Empoleon's attack is weaker, no chance in hell a simple Flamethrower could overtake a Hydro Pump!'_ Argenta thought to herself as she glared at the point where fire met water. Seeing Empoleon's attack pushing through, she momentarily grinned in victory, before Ash turned the world once more.

"Shellgon, its time to start spinning!"

Literally.

Argenta and even the referee watched wide eyed as Shellgon, allt eh while keeping up the Flamethrower, slowly started rotating its body. The force generated from launching the Flamethrower keeping it hovering in the air, Shellgon slowly increased its spinning momentum. The fire spun along with its master, and embers began circling the air around the two battlers.

'_Just….just what the heck is this guy!'_ Argenta thought in disbelief at the sheer number of unconventional strategies her opponents had come up with during their short match.

Soon, Shellgon was nothing more than a spinning wheel as the Flamethrower whirred around with him. The previously wall of fire turned into a spinning drill, cutting through the Hydro Pump and allowing Water to pass around harmlessly. Huge amounts of steam kicked up from the collisions of the now equal attacks, with Shellgon keeping his spinning and Empoleon's eyes glowing with unholy power as eh increased the volume of water sent tenfold.

Ultimately, both Pokémon had had to stop their attacks, for a very simple reason.

They had to breathe.

But not willing to give their opponents a single shred of advantage, both Pokémon roared as they sent huge volumes of their attacks one last time. A huge explosion comparable to that of a canon blast took place as the water and fire fought against each other into the sky. The scene was beautiful as Embers circled the sphere of water attempting to enclose the wild natured fire. Ultimately, neither won, and in an amazing display of power, both the attacks exploded against each other, creating a huge wall of steam that blocked wither opponent from their view.

But this was the moment Ash was waiting for.

"SHELLGON, FINISH IT!" Ash screamed towards the sky, not giving any particular order, there was no need.

Argenta, who was still shell shocked from the display before, registered her opponents words, and was about to Order Empoleon to use Ice Beam on the surefire Dragon Breath or Dragon Rage, but instead her eyes widened even more as the situation finally dawned on her.

The misty cloud separated- rather, it was _cut _through a glaring Shellgon descended towards Empoleon like a homing missile, his shell glowing brightly and in an X shape.

"Shit Empoleon it's a Zen Headbutt, dodge!" Argenta yelled desperately to her Pokémon, who unfortunately was unable to follow her orders. With his mobility already crushed due to the spinal damage, using powerful moves like Ice Beam and Hydro Pump had taken a huge toll on the Penguin Pokémon. Empoleon was only able to watch wide eyed as Shellgon appeared 10 feet away from him, the Zen Headbutt glowing with power.

Argenta recognized her Pokémon's inability to move as one of impossibility, rather as a defiance of order, and thus resorted to desperate means.

"Empoleon, use Mack Punch to stop it!" Ash merely narrowed his gaze as he continued watching his Pokémon move, nothing could take victory from his hands now.

"EM!" Empoleon's fist glowed orange as he cocked it back.

9 feet.

"SHEE!" Shellgon's eyes glowed as he neared.

8 feet.

"POO!" Empoleon charged up even more power, golden threads of energy dancing around his fists now.

7 feet.

"!" Shellgon's Zen Headbutt pulsed and shone brightly once more, indicating that the Pokémon had increased the power behind the attack.

6 feet.

"GOOOO SHELLGON!"

5 feet.

"YOU CAN DO IT EMPOLEON!"

4 feet.

Both Pokémon's attacks were now at full power, ready to strike.

3 feet.

Both braced for impact.

2 feet.

Their gazes met, and a smirk was exchanged.

1 feet.

No time to back down now!

0 feet.

Finally, the two attacks met. In a fantastic display of pyrotechnics, the two attacks whirred with energy as they tried to pulse their way through the other. Shellgon gave all of his body weight to the attack, increasing its power even more, with Empoleon giving a war cry to desperately push back.

The stalemate remained for a total of five seconds, before the inevitable happened. The Zen Headbutt, being a Psychic type attack, held a advantage over fighting type attacks like Mach Punch. And so it did over here.

While Empoleon gave his best, the Zen Headbutt eventually tore its way through the Penguin Pokémon's attack, and hit its body. Empoleon screeched out in agony as the Zen Headbutt tore through his defenses and smashed into him. The pain must have been quite large as Empoleon's cry indicated. The two Pokémon were encased in a bright shining ball of energy momentarily, before it exploded, sending Empoleon flying backwards, and then hitting the ground where it rolled around like a rag doll.

It was unconscious even before it hit the earth.

Shellgon barely stood his ground, his feet shaking from the intensity of the match, and his throat burning from keeping up the flamethrower for so long. Nevertheless, the Pokémon stood, unlike his adversary.

The Referee waited a few seconds to see whether Empoleon responded, before nodding and raising the flag belonging to Ash. "Empoleon in unable to battle. The winner of this match in Shellgon. Victory goes to Ash Ketchum of Kanto. Trainers please send out your last Pokémon!" The referee announced in an authoritative voice, snapping the two trainers out of their frozen states.

Ash stood in stunned silence for a while, before the situation finally dawned on him courtesy of Pikachu. "I- I won…." He whispered, unable to believe that his Shellgon, which he had for such a short time, was able to defeat a Pokémon belonging to a frontier brain!

But nevertheless, he grinned widely as he sprinted his way towards Shellgon, who Ash assumed sent a grin at him. Ash engulfed his Pokémon in a hug, with Pikachu joining in, and congratulated him earnestly.

"You were super duper grate Shellgon! I always knew you would win buddy!" Ash said as Pikachu patted Shellgon on the back. The Dragon type merely harrumphed, but nodded smugly anyway.

Argenta stood shocked as she returned her Empoleon, immediately sending one of her aides with the Pokeball to the healing facility, unable to believe that she had actually been defeated in the first battle itself! This was simply unbelievable, no trainer had been able to defeat her in the opening match in at least 6 years!

The Referee coughed to gain the duo's attention "If the trainers are ready, you may send out your second Pokémon."

"Right." Ash nodded. He turned his head back towards Shellgon, who was now sitting on the ground, panting hard after the tough battle "You did great Shellgon, now rest." He said with a smile, returning Shellgon to its Pokeball. The Pokémon merely snorted in response as it disappeared in a flash of red light.

As Ash reached his podium, Argenta chose that as a moment to release her second Pokémon.

"Lickilicky, prepare for battle!" Argenta said as she hurled the Pokeball towards the battlefield gracefully.

"Li Li Licky!" Lickilicky looked ready for battle as it cried out in its heavy voice. Lickilicky's mouth bulged and its tongue came out, slithering like an Ekans. The Pokémon looked more like a blob rather than anything else, the white markings on its body adding to the candy like shape.

"A Lickilicky." Ash murmured as he looked at the large rotund Pokémon which had arrived onto the battlefield. Lickilicky had a blob like body, and a huge tongue to boot. Ash had some minimal experience with Jessie's Lickitongue, and did face Conway's Lickilicky in the Sinnoh League, so he wasn't too worried.

'_But then again….. this is a Pokémon belonging to a Frontier Brain.'_ Ash thought to himself as he enlarged the second Pokeball on his belt.

"Blastoise, I choose you!" The Kanto Water type starter appeared in all his canonical glory, growling out his name as he glared across at his opponent behind his sunglasses. While Ash knew better than to underestimate his opponent, he was more confident in his victory while using one of his oldest, and strongest, Pokémon. Blastoise's power had increased tenfold after his evolutions, and he ahd performed spectacularly during each of their training sessions.

"That's an interesting Blastoise you've got there Ash." Argenta said, amused as she noticed Blastoise's glasses.

"Thanks." Ash nodded. Blastoise's and Krookodile's sunglasses were always a source of attention dn amusement.

Seeing as both the Pokémon were out and ready for battle, the Referee raised both of his flags with a loud whoosh, gaining the two trainer's attention.

"The second battle between Hall Matron Argenta and Ash Ketchum of Pallet begins…..NOW!"

"Lickilicky, use Rollout!" Argenta said, immediately starting the battle. Lickilicky blasted into action, jumping a few feet and rolling up his body into a sphere. The Sphere threw up dust as it raced towards Blastoise, who stood calmly.

"Blastoise, hold it!" Ash commanded, confident in his Pokémon's strength.

Blastoise grinned as he allowed Lickilicky to approach, and just as it was a few feet away from him drew his knees back and threw his hands forward to stop the pink mass. Lickilicky tried to burn through Blastoise's hands with increasing the velocity, but it was for naught as Blastoise's thick hide protected hit from injury. Unlike May's Blastoise, who was still young, Ash's Blastoise was fully grown and thus in the top shape of his life.

"Now throw it off!" Ash said as he moved his hand around.

Blastoise effortlessly picked up the rolled up blob and hurled it away from him, almost yawning at the ease.

Argenta growled to herself as her Lickilicky was stopped easily, yet she knew what she had to follow up with "Lickilicky, use your tongue to land safely." She commanded. Blastoise had to have had crazy strength to hurl up a Pokémon of the weight of Lickilicky to such a height.

Lickilicky immediately de-curled itself, and using its long and thick tongue, landed safely on the ground, doing a pirouette to flip on its legs safely. The previous childish look on its face disappeared, to be replaced by a fierce glare towards Blastoise.

"Blastoise, use Water Pulse." Blastoise immediately launched three glowing rings of water towards Lickilicky, who dodged the attack by jumping backwards. Nevertheless, the Water Pulse left its mark on the battlefield, creating a midsized crater at the place where it hit.

"Lickilicky, use Earthquake!" Argenta said, now thoroughly annoyed at the easy with which her Pokémon was being made to back off.

"Careful Blastoise, don't let any of the rocks hit you, use Water Pulse to destroy them if necessary!" Ash said to his Pokémon, who nodded back just as Lickilicky stomped one of its feet onto the ground. A visible wave of energy was dissipated into the ground, just after which the Earthquake moved towards Blastoise at an alarming pace. Multiple boulders were ripped and thrown at Blastoise or on its path, almost as if the Earthquake was combined with a Rock Smash, and the ground shook violently. Ash had to hold on to the railings of his podium to keep standing, while Pikachu held on to his trainer's jacket for dear life.

"Bla!" Blastoise snarled as he launched another water gun to smash a boulder that was about to hit its face. Jumping and hobbling around to keep his coordination, Blastoise had to repeat the action multiple times to save himself. Many boulders hit Blastoise on its back, luckily its shell protected it from any harm. The Pokémon's cannons clicked and flushed as Blastoise launched water gun after water gun at the boulders, who were now arriving at an alarming rate.

"B-B-B l a-a stoi-i-ise! K-k-ke-e-ep yo-o-ur balan-n-n-n c-e!" Ash stammered as he shook violently on his podium. '_Damn! Argenta has turned the watch around with one attack!'_

Feeling that the Earthquake was now at an end, Argenta hastily commanded to her Pokémon, now determined to end the battle as quickly as she could, she didn't want to go two down against her opponent, even though her last Pokémon was more than capable of taking on all three of Ash's Pokémon himself.

"Lickilicky, bury Blastoise! Give Earthquake a little more power, then quickly use Rock Tomb!"

"N-NO! Bl-astoise, dodge!" Ash cried out fruitlessly as Blastoise, who was still trying to maintain his balance all the while crushing the rocks, was surrounded by the slabs of rocks that jutted out of the ground. The earthquake finally stopped, but Lickilicky now had his fist engulfed into the ground, providing the energy necessary for using the Rock Tomb.

Blastoise's eyes widened as the slabs quickly closed in on him, and with a resounding boom they finally engulfed the water type into the tomb created.

Ash looked on in desperation as Blastoise tried to push back the rocks, but was unsuccessful and was buried under the huge rock slabs.

Argenta grinned to herself as the attack succeeded. "Well, you gave a good fight Ash, but it seems Lickilicky is just a bit better than Blastoise." She said to the raven haired trainer, who was still dumbfounded at the quickness of the attack. Well, any way you see it, the victory provided a much needed boost to Argenta's wounded pride.

But it was then that another loud explosion occurred inside the Rock Tomb. Argenta and Ash stood equally shell-shocked as Blastoise emerged from the Rock Tomb, and with him came a lot of water which flowed around the water type and into the ground. The slabs making up the Rock Tomb were utterly destroyed by whatever water type attack Blastoise had used inside it, and were scattered around the Pokémon.

Ash smirked across to his opponent "You will find Argenta" He said as Blastoise cleaned his glasses cooly "That it is not that easy to put away Ash Ketchum and his Pokémon, you will have to try harder than that!"

Blastoise grinned as he retook a battle ready position, only a few scrapes on his arms and lower body. His shell had taken the brunt of damage and while it would have to be regrown over the next few weeks, was painless due to the absence of receptors over there. So all in all, Blastoise was as good as new.

"Damn it. Lickilicky, use Power Whip!" Argenta said as she waved her hand around in an arc.

Lickilicky opened his mouth to allow his tongue to emerge, which was glowing a bright purple by now, and launched it towards Blastoise at alarming speeds.

Ash, who had already faced the attack while facing Conway's Lickilicky, already knew what to do "Blastoise, use Rapid Spin to knock it back, follow it up with a spinning Hydro Pump!" Ash commanded as Pikachu cheered Blastoise on.

"BLAST!" With quickness not known to its species, Blastoise withdrew into his shell just before power Whip reached it. And just as the Power Whip touched Blastoise, he began spinning at insane speeds, tearing up the ground beneath him like a BeyBlade, and knocked back the Power Whip with much force back to his opponent. Lickilicky snarled as his attack failed and was about to follow with another, but Blastoise immediately started with the second order.

Using the method he had used as a Squirtle, Blastoise launched jets of water from four of the holes present in his body. The arm and the leg holes. Since Squirtles couldn't use Hydro Pump in the traditional manner, they used this method to use a spinning version of the attack.

And that was what Blastoise did. However, since a Blastoise could launch a lot more Water than a Squirtle, and with much more speed, Blastoise's attack created a mini whirlpool around it, much like how Dawn's Piplup used the attack. However, instead of being concentrated and in one place, the Whirlpool exploded a few seconds after its creation launching all around the arena and creating a condition similar to a thunderstorm. Only without lightning. And with jets of water having diameter of 4 meters.

Lickilicky looked thoroughly displeased with the attack, and with Argenta's command rolled into himself and used the Rollout attack to quickly move around, dodging the attack. Nevertheless, the attacks were way too uncoordinated and wild to predict, and Lickilicky was finally hit by few of the jets. And while not doing much damage, knocked it around a lot to create lacerations and bruises on its thick hide.

"Oh no, Lickilicky are you all right?" Argenta asked in concern as her Pokémon was forced to stand up due to a particularly strong jet launching him into a boulder. Lickilicky nodded blearily to indicate that it was ok. While the attacks had done some damage, they were not able to cause a match ending injury.

"Blastoise, use Surf!" Ash said, continuing his relentless assault.

A huge wall of water emerged from behind Blastoise, and with a wave of its stubby hands, moved towards Lickilicky with devastating power.

"Lickilicky, cut the attack using Power Whip!" Argenta commanded, knowing that allowing Surf to hit would probably not end up in her favor.

"Say what!" Ash yelped as the pink colored Pokémon used his glowing tongue to cut the attack into two, allowing the water to splash around in the arena and converted the battlefield into a mini pool 2 feet deep.

The scene was magnificent in its own right; a huge wave was just cut in half by a glowing purple tongue.

Although Ash was a bit miffed at the ease with which the Surf was cut, he discreetly smiled at the amount of water gathered due to the attack. Now all he had to do was to lure Lickilicky into the water logged area and a powerful attack should right about do it!

Impressed with his own strategy, Ash decided to put it into motion "Blastoise rush up ahead, use Water Pulse!" He yelled in aloud voice, and then added in a voice only his Pokémon could hear "Make sure to lure Lickilicky towards the area where the water has gathered Blastoise."

" 'Toise!" Blastoise grinned as he understood Ash's motive behind the order and ran forward. Making sure to angle himself in such a way that Lickilicky had to escape towards the mini pool, Blastoise launched three glowing rings of water towards Lickilicky from his canons.

"Lickilicky dodge and follow up with Power Whip!" Argenta commanded.

"Blastoise, use Rapid Spin to defend once more!" Ash yelled.

And so, the stalemate continued with Lickilicky's Power Whip was once again knocked back and despite multiple efforts, Rapid Spin continued to prove an excellent defense.

However, Argenta wasn't without her own bag of tricks.

"Lickilicky, use Disable!" Argenta commanded with a smirk, making Ash curse his luck.

"Lickkkkkkk" Lickilicky hummed as his eyes glowed silver and with a snap of its fingers, Blastoise suddenly stopped its Rapid Spin. The shell Pokémon looked around in confusion since he ahd not stopped the attack voluntarily.

"NOW Lickilicky, follow up with Power Whip!"

"NO DODGE!" Ash yelled, but in vain since the Power Whip hit Blastoise with a defining crack, making the Pokémon cry out in agony as its hide was turned purple at the place.

"Keep using Power Whip." Argenta said, happy that the match was finally going in her favor.

"Blastoise!" Blastoise cried out in agony as it was continuously hit by the Power Whip, dealing massive damage to the Water Type.

But Ash still had one more move left to counter the attack.

"We haven't have had much training with this, but thi9s is your only chance Blastoise! Use Gyro Ball."

Argenta had to bite her cheek to prevent herself from curing out loud. Why did the kid have the exact moves necessary to stop her Pokémon's most powerful attacks.

Blastoise, taking advantage of a misplaced Power Whip, immediately jumped into the air and started rotating fiercely, its body glowing a light silver due to the steel type energy behind the attack. The Power Whip fruitlessly hit it, and instead of just being knocked back, was instead launched back at such speeds that it almost hit Lickilicky itself, who disabled the attack it time. Still, With Lickilicky's tongue hanging out, it was clear to all that it had not escaped without damage; a part of its tongue had swollen red due to the collision with Blastoise's Gyro Ball.

"Now Blastoise, use Gyro ball to hit Lickilicky!"

"Lickilicky, counter with your own Gyro Ball!"

The two large Pokémon collided into each other, both spinning fiercely, and created a loud sound resembling the going off of a canon. The Pokémon hit multiple times and each time only managed to knock each other back.

While Ash would have been happy to continue with the stalemate for a while, Argenta wasn't. And so, she decided to use the attack, which while not that well known, proved to be invaluable during battles against the Pokémon of the same type.

"Lickilicky, continue using Gyro Ball and use Me First!" Argenta commanded.

"Oh no, Blastoise, stop the Gyro Ball!" Ash yelled desperately, but it was too late by then.

Blastoise had already started its hovering charge towards Lickilicky, and was unable to stop. The pink Pokémon had glowed purple for just the briefest of moments, but that was enough since Lickilicky's Gyro Ball somehow grew more powerful that Blastoise's, knocking the Pokémon back with a vengeance.

Blastoise landed on the ground with a sickening thud, its head spinning from the after effects of its own attack as well as Lickilicky's sudden powered up version. Blastoise was panting harshly as it laid on the ground, and looked unable to move or sit up.

"Time to finish it Lickilicky, use Thundershock!" Argenta yelled with firmness as she waved her hand around in an arc. Lickilicky closed its eyes for a few seconds and electricity began crackling around it. Raising from the ground, the pink colored Pokémon was covered in a bright yellow sheet of electricity as it prepared to launch the massive electric attack.

Ash just had the time to scream at Blastoise to use Withdraw when Lickilicky allowed the attack to explode from itself. The lightning cracked up the ground as it hit Blastoise's shell, witht eh Pokémon tucked up inside it. The whole arena shone up from the ferocious display of light, and also since the attack was so uncoordinated; being done by a non electric type Pokémon.

When the attack ended, Blastoise's shell was slightly charred and smoking in places, with the Pokémon emerging from within wincing and shuddering, thin traces of yellow light still tittering around on its body.

Lickilicky was not that well of either. Despite its previous Gyro Ball being as good as Blastoise's, the other Pokémon's superior body had caused his own attack to become slightly inferior. The pink mass was panting harshly after using so many power wasting attacks in quick succession, and the Thundershock played a larger role in causing minor paralysis.

Not to mention Lickilicky didn't have particularly high stamina, so even if it had suffered less damage it was crippling itself by using so many power spending attacks.

So all in all both the Pokémon were not looking good, with Lickilicky slightly well off.

"Blastoise, you have to get up buddy!"

"Lickilicky, end it using Gyro Ball once again!" Argenta commanded. '_You did good Ash, but it seems we are going to win this one.'_

"Blastoise you have to dodge!" Ash yelled desperately, with Pikachu yelling with the same tone.

"Li li li li li li li li!" Lickilicky stood up on one knee and taking a huge leap, activated Gyro Ball. Screaming with the motive of ending the tough match here and here, Lickilicky sped forward towards a prone Blastoise, who was watching weakly with one eye. Its glasses had already been knocked off sometime during the battle.

"Blastoise please get up!"

"Pikachu pi!"

Blastoise felt something opening inside of him as the yells of his trainer and friend reached his ears. Generating will power even he didn't know he had, he grunted with exertion as he got up. Glaring at the approaching Gyro Ball, Blastoise felt a sudden rush of extreme anger, the likes of which he hadn't felt since the day his first trainer had abandoned him.

With the anger fueling the fully evolved Pokémon's body, Blastoise felt as if a dam had burst inside his energy core. With surprising ease, Blastoise launched a Hydro pump from his twin cannons to hit the Gyro Ball. Snarling as he felt the Water from the environment rush to him, power him up, he increased the power of the attack with a loud battle cry.

Ash watched with wide eyes as Blastoise was covered in a bright blue aura. _'This….. This is just like the day Barry's Empoleon reacted during the match against Paul! This is Torrent!'_ He thought in excitement.

"Blastoise, knock it back, full power Hydro Pump!" Ash said as he pointed towards the pink colored Pokémon.

Blastoise was more than happy to follow up.

"Blast!" Blastoise's cannons bulged as the water rushed through them like a massive tsunami. Only this Tsunami was concentrated in two thick jets.

The end result being that Lickilicky was knocked back towards the arena wall, missing it by just a few meters and coughing harshly due to the amount of water entered into his lungs.

"Lickilicky!" Argenta cried out in concern as her Pokémon's spit out massive globs of water from its nose and mouth.

"Alright! Blastoise, you activated your Special Ability!" Ash cheered his Pokémon.

Blastoise grinned as he examined his blue glowing body. He surely felt the power rushing through him, though it didn't look as if it was going to last for much long.

Ash recognized that the moment to act was now. Flashing the attack Blastoise knew in his minds, a smirk came to his face as he recognized what to use. As well as Argenta's strategy of using the same attacks to counter over and over again, he was definitely going to exploit that.

"Now Blastoise, time to finish it! Use Surf!"

Unlike before, this time the attack was much…**much ** more powerful. With Torrent providing a massive boost, and the water from the arena joining in, a massive Tsunamic wave rose up from behind Blastoise, completely hiding Ash from view and almost touching the roof. With a wave of its hands, the Surf was launched towards Lickilicky, who was looking up at the massive wave with fear in its eyes. Unnoticed to all but Ash, Blastoise slipped into the wave, disappearing from view.

Argenta however, was unimpressed.

"This again? I admit that this one is much larger than before, but it isn't going to ehlp you too much Ash! Lickilicky, use Power Whip to cut it!"

Ash's smirk grew larger under the shadow of his hat. '_That's what I want you think Argenta.'_

Lickilicky's tongue glowed purple once again, and albeit with much more crudeness and difficulty, the grass type attack cut the surf attack, allowing it to splash harmlessly around it.

But what followed next was unfathomable for Argenta and Lickilicky.

"NOW BLASTOISE, SKULL BASH!"

"What!?"

"Blasstoiseee!" Blastoise emerged from the wave like a rocket, its skull glowing a bright silver, and hit Lickilicky right on its stomach.

A sickening thud, resembling the sound created by the smacking of a liver hitting the floor, emerged as Lickilicky's eyes widened impossible, blood and saliva involuntarily spit from its mouth.

Lickilicky's whole body contorted, shockwaves rose from its massive belly to its feet, and almost in slow motion, the Pokémon was launched backwards, with Blastoise's skull till embedded into its stomach.

The two Pokémon hit the wall behind with a loud crack, the concrete structure becoming nothing more than a crater as the Lickilicky's massive body stuck into it.

Before Argenta could even make heads or tails of the situation, Ash yelled out the last order of his own.

"Hydro Cannon."

He wasn't going to take any chances.

"LICKILICKY!"

Argenta's concerned scream going useless, Blastoise charged up a basketball sized sphere in its mouth. Looking its opponent in the eyes remorselessly, Blastoise launched the Hydro Cannon at its opponent, who could do nothing more than to weakly attempt to raise its hands.

The Hydro Cannon hit Lickilicky, and after a micro second of silence, exploded in a fantastic display of water, crippling Lickilicky's defenses and ruining its Thick Fat.

There was no question of who had won.

Lickilicky slumped down the wall, its eyes resembling spirals, and body twitching in the after effects of the massive trauma.

Silence rained down the stadium for a few moments, before the Referee calmly raised his left hand, raising a flag.

"Lickilicky is unable to battle. The winner of this battle is Blastoise."

Ash immediately exploded into cheers, rushing forwards to hug his Pokémon, and nearly slipping on the water strewn about in the arena. Most of the water had already been drained, the cleaning systems doing their jobs.

Argenta returned her Pokémon with a massive scowl on her face. Things were definitely not going to plans for the Hall Matron. Two of her strongest Pokémon had been defeated by a mere child! This was simply unacceptable.

But she didn't really need to worry. Taking a massive breath, she calmed her nerves "That's right. Ash might have defeated two of my Pokémon, but only barely. But my last Pokémon…. If I use 'him', then….. then I will surely win." '_Sorry Brandon, but it seems like I need to use it much earlier than planned..'_

The last Pokeball she held in her hands was unlike any of her previous Pokémon. While the others were personally caught and trained by her, this last Pokémon was originally the Pokémon of Kanto Frontier Brain Brandon, and given to her for safe keeping for a few months after much requests and official talks. Brandon had grudgingly given her the Pokémon temporarily, but with some agreements. The agreement was that she was allowed to train and use the Pokémon, but only as a last resort. Also, if the Pokémon expressed a desire to be freed or return to Brandon, it was to be followed immediately.

Luckily, neither of the two had happened by now, and the Pokémon was quite satisfied under her. So she was safe to use it in this match.

Looking towards the celebrating trainer, her eyes steeled. Yes. This definitely was a last resort. Her original plan had been to use her own Electivire, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and she definitely didn't have any plans for losing to a sixteen year old kid. Not to mention if the kid used his Pikachu, it was basically game over for it.

It won't even be a competition.

Allowing Ash the time to properly congratulate his Pokémon, as well as return to the podium after recalling it, the Referee finally coughed to gain the trainers attention.

"This is the third, and final battle for the Hall Print between Hall Matron Argenta, and Trainer Ash Ketchum from Kanto. As it stands now, Ash Ketchum is 2-0 up against the Frontier Brain. Trainers are allowed to send out their third and final Pokémon." The Referee said, his voice ringing around the arena.

Argenta, being the official challenged, had to send out her Pokémon first.

"You really pushed me to the limit today Ash." She said honestly, to which Ash grinned "But the Pokémon I am about to use right now, I'm afraid that you truly stand no chance before it." She said with an apologetic look on her face.

The smile wiped off from his face, Ash grit his teeth "And what makes you say that Argenta?" He asked calmly.

"Simple, you barely won against two of my Pokémon. But this one….. this one is special. Its not like the earlier Pokémon. You might have stood a chance had your Pokémon defeted mien without taking as much damage, but as it stands, your entire hope rests on your third Pokémon. And as impressive as they might be, they won't be able to defeat my Pokémon in their injured state."

Ash was positively angry now. "Special or not, my Pokémon can and **will ** defeat your Pokémon. So, if your trash talk in over, I would like to start the battle." Ash growled out, enlarging the the Pokeball in his hand. He hadn't originally chose to use him, but with Argenta's comments, he didn't want to take any chances.

He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was feeling the same chill he had felt before facing Tobias in the Sinnoh League.

Argenta shook her head. Foolish child. "I admire your confidence Ash, and rest assured, even if you lose, you would have done enough to get the Hall Print-"

Ash interrupted her at that exact moment "Hold up right there, I don't want your charity, the Hall Print will be mine only if I win it clean." He said resolutely. And besides, Misty's taunting about how he had never won any of the badges in Kanto cleanly still haunted his dreams.

Argenta smiled at that "Alright Ash. If you wish so, then I agree." She was impressed by Ash's will power, but she had decided that even if Ash did lose to her, then she would give him the Print. And besides, he won't argue after seeing her third Pokémon.

Pikachu nudged Ash, who was goddamn pissed off by now, and making him choose to send out his Pokémon first. Fuck the official rules.

"Garchomp, I choose you!" Ash yelled as he released his most powerful Dragon Type.

Garchomp emerged with a beastly roar, stomping his arrival onto the battlefield with a stomp and glaring across to Argenta. The Pseudo legendary was pumped up and ready for battle.

Argenta calmly hurled her Pokeball towards the battlefield, and uttered the words which made Ash's blood run cold.

"The legendary bird birthing from electricity itself, I choose you Zapdos!"

The thunder bird appeared onto the battlefield with a ferocious screech. Lightning crackled around it due to its mere existence, and its sheer aura made the air burn. Zapdos had a predominantly yellow body, with two Tanuki like rings around its eyes. The Pokémons very body looked to be made of nothing but electricity, with the sole exception of its beak and anisodactyl feet ending in talons.

The Pokémon blurred and whirred out of existence as it flapped its wings, showing that it was the manifestation of electricity itself. Sounds of a Thunderstorm could be heard from outside the Arena, indicating that the customary thunderclouds indicating Zapodos's arrival were already gathering.

Pikachu looked with wide, revered eyes at the Pokémon which was considered a god among Electric Types along with Raikou and Thundrous. But rather than fear, the electric mouse rather felt the rush of excitement rush through its veins. The experience of defeating Pokémon like Registeel and Latios had hardened Pikachu from feeling fear against Legendary opponents. Not that any Pokémon could scare him after he had met Arceus himself, but still, to meet a Legendary belonging to his own type? It was certainly a great moment for Pikachu.

Ash on the other hand, was looking at the legendary bird with shock in his very being. Memories rushed to the raven haired trainer of his defeat against Tobias, multiple defeats against Brandon's Legendaries. Ash gulped as he looked at the formidable form of the Kanto Legendary. Garchomp himself was a good 6' 8" in height, but Zapdos was larger than his Dragon by at least two feet, if not more.

Garchomp, despite his own power, was indeed a bit apprehensive at the thought of facing a Legendary Pokémon. But just as it Draconic nature directed it to, Garchomp didn't even flinch as it faced the Thunderbird. It would be shameful to the extreme if he showed even a bit of fear for his opponent to exploit.

And so, Garchomp stood tall and prideful before Zapdos, ready for battle.

Argenta for her part was smirking at the responses of the trio in front of her. This indeed was the response she was expecting. While she had to admit that facing a Garchomp wouldn't be as easy as she had imagined, and that wasn't even adding up the type advantage, she had full belief in the Legendary power of her Pokémon.

"So… what do you say Ash? Impressed?" She asked coyly.

The Hall Matron's voice made her opponent blink and shook Ash out of his stupor. Smiling slightly as he processed Argenta's statement, he replied "You can bet that Argenta" Shaking his head a bit, he continued "But if you think that Garchomp and I are going to be scared at facing a Legendary…" Ash's face darkened as his hat cast a shadow over it.

"You're wrong!" Argenta nearly drew back at the sheer determination that shone on Ash's face as he looked back up. "Me and my Pokémon have faced impossible odds before, and we have overcome them! We might not win easily, but we certainly won't lose!" Ash said as Garchomp grinned in support. The Pseudo legendary was in no mood to back down, and was certainly happy to know that his trainer had equal determination.

"So then…" Argenta's face shifted into a cocky smirk… A look which Ash promised to wipe out, no matter what.

"Show me your determination!"

**XXX**

**OMAKE:** POKEDEX CHRONICLES- METANG

It floats midair using magnetism. Its body is so tough, even a crash with a jet plane won't leave a scratch. **(FireRed)**

If a jet plane won't leave a scratch after crashing into you, that's coming very close to saying you're completely invincible. But what's more disturbing about this is that the entry indicates that jet planes hitting Metang and exploding is something that isn't uncommon. And given that magnetism is a big part of its existence, it's probably drawing those jet planes into it just because it can. Given jet planes typically fly at speeds of over 500 mph, weigh around 400,000 lbs., and have a fuel capacity of around 50,000 gallons, Metangs walking away without so much as a scratch is pretty horrifyingly powerful. So, ya know, maybe throw out something other than a big butterfly when fighting this thing.

**XXX**

**A/N: Yo. **

**Been long time, I know. And please forgive me guys, I had planned to include the battle between Zapdos and Garchomp in this very chapter, but ideas were coming hard to me and I felt that taking some time more to arrange them properly into my desired end result would be better than ruining it in a hurry.**

**As an apology, I will include that battle as well as all the three battles from the second frontier brain in the next chapter.**

**Also, if many of you have any questions regarding 'why' certain things happened in the battles, please ask them in the form of reviews. I agree that I have not been the most responsive of authors, but I promise to satisfy your queries this time.**

**I hope that the story crosses 200 reviews by this chapter, and my personal goal will be for 210 Reviews.**

**Tango Charlie O.U.T.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I do not, not own Pokémon, Pokémon has wrong owner.**

**Yo guys, been a bit long since I've updated, eh? No worries, this chapter is here now!**

**Also, I have posted a new story, Apex. It is a Pokémon Fanfiction, be sure to check it out!**

**XXX**

It happened in a flash.

A mere second after Argenta's statement, Garchomp rushed forward with a glowing fin, a sonic boom occurring from the mere speed with which it had took off towards the Legendary bird.

A snarl coming from its throat, Garchomp hurled its shark like fin forward, intending to do massive damage with the first step of the Dual Chop. But Zapdos proved far too fast to be taken out by such a straightforward attack.

Just as Garchomp's fin was about to touch the bird, it was covered in an impressive burst of electricity.

With an emphatic screech, the bird appeared ten feet above the spot where it previously was, escaping from the attack harmlessly. The appearance was so fast that it almost looked like teleportation. Stray electric sparks showered below Zapdos, further amplifying its status as a master of its element.

It didn't even flap its wings.

Black and gold eyes narrowed as Garchomp analyzed the sheer speed which Zapdos possessed. The Mach Pokémon was no slouch in the air, but Zapdos's speed was almost like teleportation, or that's how it seemed.

"Impressive." Ash muttered under his breath. Truly, Zapdos had impressive reflexes and speed. The fact that it was able to dodge a sudden attack from a Pseudo Legendary was something worth worrying about. '_It seems Brandon does actually train his Pokémon… I don't think Zapdos could have been this fast in the wild.'_

"Like I said, Zapdos is an opponent unlike all the others you have faced till now Ash. And since you have made your move, we shall start our own! Zapdos, use Drill Peck!" Argenta yelled with confidence.

"Dodge Garchomp!"

Zapdos' sharp beak glowed for a second, immediately after which it swooped down towards Garchomp, its beak moving like the bullets from a machine gun.

But Garchomp was fast enough to dodge, the result being that Zapdos merely hit air. One of the drills hit the ground, showering the area with dust and debris, showing the amount of damage a simple attack like Drill Peck could do a while performed by a Legendary.

"Dual Chop, again!"

Garchomp sped forward in the dust, its fins glowing white.

"Dodge Zapdos, and then use Thunder!"

Zapdos once again dodged the attack with surprising agility, snapping its eyes towards the Pseudo Legendary, Zapdos let loose an absolute massive Thunder attack.

The ground where the Pseudo Legendary stood exploded, and the air itself burned as the electricity was released from Zapdos. Massive charge flew from the thunderbird, much of it dissipating around the room. Ash felt his hair raise from the sheer amount of electricity present in the air. Pikachu's cheeks sparkled as the electricity touched it.

But in all this, Garchomp was unharmed. As the dust cloud created around it cleared, Argenta was shocked to see that Garchomp didn't have a single scratch on its hide; rather it seemed to be enjoying the static going through its body.

"Garchomp's a ground type, Argenta. Or have you forgotten that?" Ash asked in a mocking manner as he gave a thumbs up to his opponent "Don't think that I chose Garchomp just because he is a Pseudo Legendary. His Ground Typing will protect it from most, if not all, electric attacks."

Argenta's lips drew into a thin line as she understood the situation. Her advantage wasn't as much as she had thought; not nearly so.

No matter.

Zapdos is a legendary. She thought to herself, there is no way she could lose.

And of normal electric attacks didn't work, she would just have to use the most powerful ones.

"Zapdos, use Thunder bolt!"

As the static in the room grew to dangerously high levels, Ash realized that taking the attack head on wouldn't probably be a good idea.

"Garchomp, charge forward; Dragon rush!"

In the time that it took for Zapdos to let loose the godly thunderbolt, Garchomp's body was covered by what appeared to be fire. Yet, it was not burning. Instead, a sound of a thunderclap occurred as Garchomp blasted forward from its place.

At the exact dame moment, a Thunder bolt hit that area of the arena. The ground exploded like a cannonball and in a move that made Ash's eyes grow large in disbelief, the single line of electricity that comprised of the thunderbolt tore through the ground with a buzz saw like sound.

Tearing its way through mud and rock, the Thunder bolt followed Garchomp with fercoity, with Zapdos providing the never ending source of electricity.

Garchomp's eyes bled red as it increased its speed even further. Pure Draconian energy flew through its veins as the Pokémon neared Zapdos, who was still releasing Thunder bolt after thunderbolt, none of them reaching the Pseudo legend.

The arena was almost cut in half as Garchomp finally reached the Legendary, its fins and jaws ready to do massive damage.

But Zapdos, already covered in electricity, used its flash technique to disappear in a thin arc of electricity.

Ash screamed for Garchomp to dodge, but it was too late.

"Finish this Zapdos, use a full power Thunderbolt below you!" Argenta's smirk returned to her face as she commanded what she wanted to be the last order of the match.

In a scene that ash would remember for all his life, the legendary bird released a Lightning bolt which appeared to have been conjured by Thor himself. Like a Nuclear explosion, Garchomp was completely engulfed in the Thunder bolt.

Seeing its adversary continue to hold out, Zapdos gave a primal screech as it increased he power to the maximum.

The round under Garchomp was torn apart, rocks were turned into dust and mud was burned into clay. The power of electricity was so much that it even spread to the entire arena, leaving both the trainers and the referee with their hair standing.

Finally, Garchomp gave the first indication of pain as the power attack broke through its barriers. Grinding its jaws in pain, Garchomp curled up into a ball in mid air as it tried to protect its skin from charring further.

After another five seconds of this, Zapdos finally stopped the attack. The legendary bird was extemely tired from the attack, as was clear from its heavy breathing and the fact that one of its eyes was closed.

Garchomp dropped to the ground with a loud thump, its body lying prone in the crater with only shallow breathing indication of its still being in the living world. No doubt, had it been some other Pokémon, it would have been instantly knocked out.

Or worse.

A huge mushroom cloud had kicked up due to the explosion, with the dust and soot dissipating after reaching the top of the building. As the smoke dissipated, Ash's eyes fell on the sickening scene in front of him.

Smell of burning flesh reached the nose of all the individuals in the room, as Garchomp's slightly burned skin showed its presence to all.

Ash choked on his breath as his eyes fell on Garchomp's body.

"Garchomp!" Ash cursed under his breath for his own foolishness. If only he had been more careful! What had he been thinking, taking on a legendary like Zapdos head on, without any strategy?

"I hope its clearer to you, just how outmatched you are Ash." Argenta said, her nose high in the air "I gove you a chance to quit right now, and save your Pokémon from further humiliation."

Ash Ketchum hadn't gotten angry very often. In fact, the only time he had last been so angry was when he had seen Victini being so thoroughly tortured for a madman's impossible dream.

But now? Ash had believed Argenta's words to be nothing other than friendly banter between two rivals, but now he had full belief that Argenta was just as overconfident in Zapdos's seemingly endless power as it seemed.

He had enough experience with overconfident people. And he liked nothing more than to defeat them

But first-

"Garchomp, please get up buddy! I KNOW you can defeat Zapdos! Prove yourself to be better, Garchomp!"

"Pika pikachu pi!"

Hearing its trainers cries, Garchomp blearily opened one of its eyes. Hearing Argenta's derogative statements had ignited a fire inside of Garchomp which he had never felt before . Such insults were abusing to not only himself, but the whole of Dragon kind!

So, with much pain and effort, Garchomp stood back up. The cheers of its trainers caused it to straighten its spine and give a beastly roar that was accentuated by the searing burns on its body.

In reality, its injuries were not nearly as much as it seemed. The attack, while causing a lot of damage, wasn't enough to put him out of commission. Not nearly so. While the Thunderbolt was indeed very powerful, his Ground typing had indeed kicked in to protect it from maximum damage

Seeing Garchomp stand back up, Argenta's lips curled up in anger. Things were definitely not going to plan for the hall matron.

"Garchomp, put some distance between yourself and Zapdos." In a matter for few jumps, Garchomp now stood, panting, fifty feet away from Zapdos.

"We won't let you defeat us, Argenta." Ash spoke in a quiet voice. "I will prove my Pokémon to be as good as- no, BETTER than Legendaries!"

Argenta chuckled at hearing Ash's words. The boy was really naïve. How could one possibly think that their Pokémon can be better than legendaries?

"Dream on, kid." And then, Argenta unleashed her final attack.

"Zapdos, use Steel Wing!" the Hall matron commanded.

Like a bullet from a gun, Zapdos flew forward with high speeds towards Garchomp. As it neared the dragon, it charged up the attack it was about to unleash.

Zapdos shot forward with a glowing wing, leaving trails of electricity as it moved. Steel Wing didn't actually turn its wings into steel, but rather stretched the muscles to such an extent that they resembled steel. And thus resulted in an all round powerful attack.

Thankfully, Ash and Garchomp weren't defenseless.

"Garchomp, use Dual Chop!"

Garchomp's fins glowed a bright silver as they readied for the clash with Zapdos's Steel wing.

Kicking itself into the air, Garchomp met with Zapdos equally, with both Pokémon glaring at each other. A minor gunshot echoed as the two powerful Pokémon clashed in mid air.

Both shuddered as neither gained an advantage. Garchomp had a slightly upper edge due to it not needing wings to fly, while Zapdos was completely dependent on one wing by now.

Yet, Argenta knew that if it came to a matter of power, Zapdos would eventually win out. She had total confidence in the legendaries abilities.

And this was the opportunity Ash Ketchum was looking for.

"Garchomp, bite Zapdos!"

Argenta's eyes widened "What the-"

*CRUNCH*

A sickening voice emerged as Garchomp clamped its jaws around the glowing steel wing of Zapdos. The thunderbird cried out in pain as its appendage was crunched between one of the most powerful jaws present in any Pokémon

"No! Zapdos, escape!" Argenta's yells fell on deaf years as Zapdos thrashed about fruitlessly. With its wings trapped by the dual power of Dual Chop and Garchomp's jaws, Zapdos had no place to escape.

Getting the tad bit desperate now, Argenta ordered "Zapdos, fry it with Thundershock!."

With a screech that left Ash very impressed, Zapdos launched a thunderbolt of epic proportions on itself. With Garchomp so firmly attached to it, that was the only way.

Yet, Garchomp's type advantage came into play once more, with it only taking minimal damage from the thunderbolt that would have destroyed a minor mountain. Not to mention, the Dragon's body was on an adrenalin rush right now, small injuries didn't even tickle him.

Argenta, in her overconfidence, hadn't realized how horribly mismatched she was. Brandon hadn't cared for training Zapdos's other attacks. He had no need for it. Zapdos was merely another showcase for the Frontier Brain and not even one he would have kept permanently.

Brandon's multitude of Legendaries were free to do what they pleased, and training was certainly not one of those things.

Although Argenta had taken care of Zapdos, she hadn't cared for training it as much as her other Pokémon. And while it could have taken out most Pokémon, facing a well trained Pseudo Legendary with a type disadvantage was certainly not one of those things. Argenta had put her belief on a Pokémon that wasn't even hers, while not using her own Pokémon which she had trained with for so much time.

And Ash knew how to take advantage of this.

With an emphatic movement of his hands, Ash yelled "Now Garchomp, use Fire Blast!"

With the searing heat that had begun gathering on its wing, Zapdos thrashed about even more violently, with the Pokémon sending thunder bolts wildly around the arena, creating many a mini craters in the ground.

But it was all useless as Garchomp continued gathering the fire type energy between its jaws.

Argenta, who had been taken off guard by the command, knew that she was in serious danger of losing right now, as unbelievable as the concept was.

So, with mild desperation creeping into her voice, she commanded.

"Zapdos, throw it off using Drill Peck!"

"Endure, Garchomp! This is our only chance!"

With both commands in the air, Garchomp scrunched its eyes shut for the pain that was about to come, while still gathering the energy for the massively energy consuming attack.

And boy, did the pain come.

Like a machine gun, Zapdos rained hell upon Garchomp. Its drill like beak hit and hit Garchomp's exposed body, creating minor puncture wounds all over it.

Like an AK 47, the drill peck continued hitting Garchomp with the sound of a nail gun going off. Still, Garchomp endured the pain of what appeared to him like a thousand ice needles falling upon its body, and finally gathering the right amount of energy, its eyes snapped open.

Black and Gold met ashen brown, and with a subtle nod, Garchomp understood what it had to do. Weakly turning its head to meet Zapdos's panicked eyes, it gave a savage smirk.

And then, the world burned for Zapdos.

Fire Blast was an attack which was usually released in the form of a huge Fireball, with the fire contained into a condensed shape for maximum damage.

But with no space for the fire ball to be released, and its jaws on Zapdos's wings, the fire Blast exploded prematurely, leading to untold amount of damage on Zapdos's wings. The fire burned through the legendary, and spread onto the ground, turning it red.

The sound of a thousand cannons going off were what could only describe the final explosion which ripped Zapdos from Garchomp's grip and towards a patch of grass. With searing pain in its wings, Zapdos wasn't even able to screech in pain as the horrible scene of its blackened wing was exposed to the world.

Still awake and in minor pain, thanks to the third degree burns, Zapdos was still very far from being knocked out. Yet, it knew that the match was as good as over.

While its electric reserves were still more than enough, and most of its body uninjured, Zapdos had lost a major part of its fighting style.

Not able to fly, Zapdos was ripe for the taking.

Argenta had been reduced to a shaking mess as the amount of damage on her Pokémon became clear to her. Her head hanging in shame, she cursed her overconfidence that lead to her embarrassing loss. Even devastating for Zapdos.

Ash decided to end the match, once and for all.

"Garchomp, no holding back, Outrage!"

Garchomp's eyes bled red as its entire being raised into the air due to the sheer amount of draconic energy present in its body. A light golden color came into existence around Garchomp, like an outline to show just how devastating the attack was about to be.

Garchomp shot towards Zapdos with a deafening roar, with the legendary weakly raising one of its eings to protect itself.

Not even feeling a shred to pity, the Dragon unleashed hell on Zapdos.

**XXX**

_Somewhere in Hoenn_

"One more time Venasaur, Leaf Storm!"

With a loud screeching sound, a large amount of leaves were launched towards a tall pine tree. The leaves were spinning at high velocities, with green shimmering energy defining the tornado like shape they had taken up. Moving with pin point precision towards the tree, the Leaf Storm attack engulfed the tree in a massive hurricane.

Thousands of cuts appeared on the tree as it was violently attacked by the magical leaves. Yet, even after thirty seconds, the tree still remained standing, with the attacking appendages disappearing soon after.

"Bummer..." May Maple groaned out in disappointment as she slumped against her large grass type Pokémon. Venasaur looked equally disgruntled as she looked towards the ground with sadness.

"Hey, you almost had it this time, May." A kind voice cut across the clearing as May looked up towards its source. Norman Maple appeared with a smile on his face, bit he was not alone.

Following Norman was a large, odd looking Pokémon. With its long white mane covering most of its face, only two yellow colored eyes poked out from within them. The bipedal Pokémon had a long nose resembling the legend of Pinocchio. However, the oddest feature was perhaps the absence of proper hands, with leaves taking their spot.

"But you and Shifty can do it perfectly, dad!" May groaned. This was her and Venasaur 20th time today of trying the attack, yet she wasn't able to perfect it to her Dad's level.

It was extremely frustrating.

Norman patted May's head consolingly, even though it was a bit weird since May wasn't too much shorter than him now. "Now now May, we have discussed it before. Me and Shiftry have years and years of experience on you, we have had much more time to perfect the attack. You are doing admirably well for your first day."

May and Venasaur perked up a bit at that, and as if to reassure Norman's words, Shiftry flashed the two a smile and thumbs up. Despite it being a peaceful gesture, coming from a dark type like Shiftry it still ended up being creepy.

Yet, despite the Pokémon's frightening visage, May didn't feel uncomfortable in the slightest, this was a Pokémon she had been seeing since her childhood after all.

"I know that dad... It's just that almost everyone I know is going to compete in this tournament. I don't wanna get embarrassed in front of them." Seriously, the scale of the competition was going to be epic, in every sense of the word. People ranging from her rivals, friends, Ash and even her dad were competing!

Norman smiled at his daughters words. Just three years ago, she didn't even have an interest in either battles or the Pokémon world as a whole.

"May, have I ever told you about my participation in the Champions League?" Norman said suddenly.

May looked up at her father with a questioning gaze "Hm... Now that I think about it, hadn't you left home for a year when I was five?"

Her father grinned, "That's the one May. After training and travelling for ten long years, I had finally been given entry into the Champions League. The one which is happening next year is nothing compared to the difficulty we trainers had to face to gain entry in the older days." Only a hint of bitterness was in his voice.

May nodded at that. Even in the letter it was fleetingly mentioned that this year's Championship aas going to be 'unique'.

"In the old days, it was necessary for a trainer to have travelled at least three regions, to have won the badges of all three and have gotten till the semifinals in at least one, and minimum of quarter finals in the other two. Oh, and they must have at least 20 different varieties of Pokémon."

May tilted her head in confusion "But Dad, that doesn't sound very hard. Ash did the same in his first four years of being a Pokémon trainer." And getting Gym badges didn't seem as hard to her, after all she had seen Ash win most of the badges and Frontier Symbols in the second, if not first, try.

Norman barked in laughter "Kid, you have no idea what are you talking about. When I was travelling, things weren't so easy as they are for you and your friends. The regions weren't as stable as they are now. Inter-Regional travelling was very hard to do due to the multitudes of restriction placed on the act."

The brunette tilted her head in confusion, "But why?"

"Criminal Organizations ran rampant during those times. Case in point, Team Rocket."

May cut off her father with a giggle, "Team Rocket? How can they even have been dangerous dad, they haven't even been able to steal Ash's Pikachu!" However, her giggling was cut short as her father fixed her with a stern glare.

"The Team Rocket you face now is a pathetic joke in front of the criminals of the past, May. Team Rocket had actual control over the five regions back then. Kagawa Rocket, the previous leader, conducted some of the most brutal operations ever seen by the world. No trainer was safe from being mobbed, and that was the reason most never even got the chance to compete in their first champions league."

"The government did aft, but in a completely wrong manner. They imposed restrictions on inter regional travel, so as to cut off contact between the various branches of Team rocket. It failed miserably since Team Rocket had developed much advanced technology for such tasks even before they were introduced to the wider public."

"Many young trainers were forcefully recruited into doing the bidding of the organizations. But perhaps the most important factor was the presence of Team rocket spies and moles within the army and beurocrats. Why, there was a time when they were close to over throwing the government. Only the timely intervention of the five champions stopped the organization. Lance from Johto, Alder from Unova, Steven Stone of Hoenn, Cynthia from Sinnoh and someone named... Well I don't really remember the name of the Kanto Champion. Anyways, they were the ones who joined the most powerful trainers of our generation to eradicate the threat of Team Rocket."

"They were partly successful, since Team Rocket has been reduced to a mere husk of its previous glory. I hardly doubt they will ever return to being what they were before." As Norman finished, he looked down at his daughter, only to see her looking at him with a slightly shocked look

"Wow dad... I mean, I can't even imagine being in your shoes. The most Team Rocket does nowadays is come in a ridiculous Mecha to try to steal our Pokémon. But what you told just now... It's really unbelievable."

Norman nodded "Yup. Still, times are much better than before, and I don't think I would ever wish otherwise." His face brightening considerably, he smiled down at his daughter "So... Ash is taking part too, huh. Been a while since I met him, how's he doing?"

May grinned at her father, "He is training for the Champions League, of course! Ash has become much more serious in his training, dad. Many of his Pokémon had evolved, and he also returned many of his past Pokémon. I mean, I know Ash was great when we travelled together, but he has improved so much now!" She said brightly, drawing a chuckle from Norman.

"Haha! Ash is a determined boy alright. Your brother admires him like no one else, you know that?"

May knew it alright. Ash was Max's number one inspiration after the time they had split after Ash's Battle Frontier. Norman was depressed in a comically extreme manner about that, but eventually he recovered.

Somehow.

"It's not without reason, dad. Ash helped me and Max out a lot during our journeys. Well, Brock was there too, but you get my point. He's the one who basically made me like Pokémon! I wouldn't even have been a Coordinator had Ash not helped me out in the beginning. We shared so many adventures together, even seeing Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza!"

Norman was still in disbelief over that. Those three were the Pokémon who only the luckiest of lucky people got the chance to see the shadow of. Heck, he himself had completed his journey and settled down with Caroline, having only seen a shadow of Rayquaza early in his journey.

But what May and Max described to him and Caroline was simply incredible. Not only had they seen Groudon in the person, but they had been accompanied while doing so by none other than Lance! And then, his daughter had helped defeat Team Magma, a threat which was close to destroying their entire planet!

Now that he thought about it, should he be angry or grateful to Ash? On one hand, travelling with Ash had lead his two scions into some of the greatest dangers imaginable, while on the other hand, the boy had acted remarkably well to keep both of them safe too, as well as turned his daughter into a competent trainer. And last, but not the least, his daughter obviously looked to have a... 'liking' to that boy...

Screw that, the last one immediately qualified for the 'anger' part.

May, oblivious to her father's thoughts, continued "And then there was the time when he saved my life dad! He put me, Manaphy and Pikachu into the pod and then went inside the ocean to fix the temple-"

May was stopped from continuing as Norman immediately looked at her with a stunned look "Wait, hold on, what's this about nearly getting killed!?"

May's face turned pale as she realized that she had given away the secret that she and Max had decided to never reveal to their parents. Chuckling nervously, she looked back at her father, who was looking deathly serious right now.

"Yeah...about that..."

**XXX**

Time skip- 1 Week

A large yellow colored building stood out on the top of a mountain. The building, or rather the arena, was a dome shaped structure, with a strange absence of windows or doors.

This soon became clearer to Ash as the buildings air conditioning hit him and Pikachu straight in the face. The duo had come to the isolated place in search for the second of three prints needed for winning the Sinnoh Battle Frontier. Having won against Argenta, Ash had immediately set off to find the second Frontier Facility.

However, the facility looked to be located on top of a mountain, and one t which Challengers had to get to without the help of any vehicles.

Needless to say, it was a tough climb for Ash Ketchum, but one which he was somewhat ready for given his personal body building training over the last few months. Ash had actually developed a few muscles and gained a few inches in height after starting his training. This was a sudden growth spurt that was even more amplified by the presence of Primeape in his party.

The Pig monkey was a crazy Pokémon in every sense of the word. Not only was it prone to anger, but it even pushed (forced) other Pokémon to train as hard as him. Physically, that is.

Only Infernape and Emboar seemed to like this system, with the Sinnoh and Unova starters tackling training with even more vigor now. Others, like Servine, were less than impressed by being forced to pick up boulders, while doing pushups.

And so, it was no surprise that after a few weeks of torture filled training, Snorlax had finally snapped, and a brutal battle had ensued between him and Primeape. Not even Tyranitar, who was the only one in his party that was strong enough at the time, was enough to stop them successfully.

In order to stop the madness, Ash had to promise Snorlax that he would give him 'four' Super Food Pills and that his physical training would be reduced.

Needless to say, the fight stopped after that.

In order to stop any such mutinous behavior in the future, Ash and Gary developed a more advanced training program modified for each of his Pokémon. With Dexter's educated input, the program was a success and his Pokémon looked happier in training.

Coming back to the dome shaped arena, Ash was slightly surprised by the number of people present in the building. Seeing as there were no means of transportation for reaching the structure, it was even more vexing for Ash, who quickly glanced back at his Supercomputer 'friend'.

"Are you sure this is the right place, Dex?"

Dexter blinked in the affirmative, "Indeed, sir. My GPS system is updated and correct, there is no way this isn't the Frontier Facility of Factory Head Thorton."

"Better hope you're right Dexter. Coz if you aint, and we have scaled a wrong mountain..." Ash trailed off dangerously.

Sensing of Pikachu's little electric sparks touch its expensive body, Dexter vibrated in fear "Of-Ofcource not, sir! I swear on my AMOLED screen it's the correct place!" Dexter said a bit fearfully. Dexter had already been hit by a weak Thunder Spark by Pikachu. It wasn't looking to repeat the experience, thank you very much.

The main reason for Ash's skeptism was the large crowd present in the entrance area, with the people either talking in groups, or taking refreshment drinks from one of the many machines present attached to the wall.

Deciding to get some answers, Ash turned to one of the people standing to his left, "Excuse me? Can you tell me whether this is the Frontier Facility for facing Frontier Brain Thorton?" He asked in a polite voice with a smile.

However, immediately after he asked the question, the person next to him froze. As did the other people surrounding them. Whispers reached Ash's ears..

"He's here to face Thorton?"

"Does he even know what he is getting into?"

"Poor kid! He's in for a beating!"

"I hope Thorton doesn't even accept the challenge. Facing little boys is beneath him."

"Hmph. Even if he does, I don't think the kid will survive for long."

With a twitching face, Ash exploded, "Hey, no one asked your opinion jabronis! And now that you have 'told' me that this is indeed the frontier facility, can you call Thorton?"

One of the girls scoffed "Why should we? You don't even stand a chance, kid."

Ash's teeth clenched "Well, we would have to see about that wouldn't we?" Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he once again asked "Look, can you just call Thorton? He is the one who will be battling me, so I would rather like to talk to him."

A man looked at him as if he were stupid "Look, kid. Thorton is training for the Champions League. He doesn't have the time for entertaining any and all competitors coming here, ya know?" The crowd nodded as one as they seemingly agreed with the man's statement.

Ash looked in disbelief at the group, "What the heck are you all talking about? I am here to win my second Frontier Symbol! I am an official challenger to the Sinnoh Battle Frontier, it is Thorton's job to accept my challenge!"

Before the group could reply in a similar retarded manner, a sudden cough caught everyone's attention.

Turning towards the sound, a man appeared from a sliding steel door. The crowd gasped at the appearance of the man, who came to tower over Ash with a haughty look on his face.

"So…. Little kid, you are the one who defeated Argenta, eh? Don't look so tough to me….well, anyways, you are right, it is my duty to accept your challenge to my Frontier Facility, and so shall I do! Get ready to face the might of Factory Head Thorton!"

**XXX**

**A/N**: I am sorry for the little bit shorter chapter guys, but I really had very limited free time, and I wanted to post the battle between Garchomp and Zapdos, so I did. The battle between Ash and Thorton will be coming next chapter, with all three battles in it, and nothing else. So get ready for an exciting battle filled chapter next time, coz its gonna get wild in here!

**In a extra news, I have posted a new story of mine, Apex. It's a story with what I think to be an interesting concept, and is of course of the Pokémon world. I will really like it if you guys give that story a chance, and make it as popular as To be the best, like there no one ever was!**

P.S- I included a few Pop culture mentions in this chapter, can you identify them all? Be sure sure to give your answers in the review section.


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